Aria's Destiny
by lozipozivanillabean
Summary: When Aria Phillips starts seeing flashes of medieval villages and men dressed in armour, she starts doubting her sanity. But then one day, whilst she's with her two best friends, she hears a strange noise - and before she can give it much thought, gets pulled through a portal into an unknown land, where she is confronted with the most beautiful, blue eyes she has ever seen. Mer/OC
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Disclaimer: **I do not own 'Merlin'. Please remember that I do not own, make money off of, or profit from this story and/or its characters in any way. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

Rating:T for language & fight scenes. Please note- this **may** change to 'M' later on in the story, but for now I'm running with 'T'. I will make it obvious if the rating changes.

**A/N-** This chapter is quite text-y and focuses around Aria, the OC, but don't worry, more conversation will happen in Chapter 2 onwards! Please leave **constructive **comments- no flames please. I'm just trying out this story as I've been thinking about it for a while now, so it would be useful to get some comments and feedback from readers :)

Also, I don't have a beta, so if anyone would like to help beta my work, that would be fantastic- just PM me :)

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**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

_**30**__**th**__** July 2013**_

Sighing, Aria pushed her sun glasses further up her nose and tapped her finger on the steering wheel of her car. Why did she have to be stuck behind a tractor today of all days? Staying late after work had been tedious enough, but now crawling up the hills of the A436 to get home was proving to be even more of a chore. She didn't know what it was, but having to wait in a car was so frustrating! Even if she was in the most beautiful place on the earth, it would annoy her. Aria's eyes started to wander to the surrounding scenery. Taking in the beautiful English countryside landscapes had always been a favourite past time of hers – she could sit in fields all day long, staring up at the sky and day dreaming. Her mother had always told her off for getting 'lost with the fairies', but Aria didn't mind – she felt timeless as she watched the clouds move slowly across her vision.

Flicking her long, blonde hair over her shoulder, Aria sighed again, wishing she were lying in the grass on the hill to her left, so that she could view the Cotswolds landscape, watching life go by. In front, the tractor in front made a churning noise as it shuddered to a near-enough halt. _Argh, why drive a tractor up a hill if you know it won't go up it?! Surely this is obvious and just common sense?! Obviously not…_

Travelling up a particularly steep bit, Aria's car rolled to a stop. _Oh well, at least I stopped in the shade of a tree and can look at the villages sprinkled in the valley to my left… _Looking left, Aria noticed a tiny church with a few houses dotted around it. It looked very pretty, and Aria really wished that she was able to live in the countryside again. She had indeed grown up in the middle of nowhere, but as she had gotten older, her parents had thought it was better she grew up in a city- or a town at least- so she could learn more about the world. And so, her family had up-rooted and moved to a town called Cheltenham in the Cotswolds, which was actually a really nice place. Aria had made some wonderful friends at school, and had really enjoyed her time there. However, there was something inside of her which made her miss the countryside, the rolling hills, the forests to be explored and the thrill of running through fields of long grass with the wind whipping at your hair. Now that Aria was a lot older, she had moved to Oxford, which was also a beautiful place and full of fantastic buildings and a lot of history. But, she did wonder why she hadn't moved to the countryside- she supposed it was because she had moved to be closer to her job, as a psychologist, and hadn't really given much thought to where she would live after that.

She had been working away from the office today and had in fact, been to Cheltenham for work. She was originally going to pop into her parents to say hello, but after leaving so late, she decided that she'd much rather go home and relax with a nice glass of sparkling lemonade.

Aria sighed, _why, oh WHY, did I choose to go to meet this client today? If I had just gone to the office, I would have been saved from sitting in a boiling hot car behind a stuck tractor in the middle of the countryside._

"BEEP! BEEP!" Aria jumped out of her skin – the cars behind had started beeping the tractor, evidently getting more and more frustrated that they weren't going anywhere. Aria rolled her eyes, _it's not like the driver of the tractor can do much – if the tractor is stuck, it's stuck._

Seeing that drivers behind her were getting shifty and starting to inch their cars into the opposite lane, Aria decided she may need to be the first person to overtake the tractor, seeing as she was the first car behind it. Sighing for what seemed like the fiftieth time this journey, Aria edged out into the outside lane to overtake, and when it was clear of traffic, overtook the tractor. She hated doing this, it always felt so dangerous on country roads, but she could just see an accident happening from another car trying to overtake 5 cars (including hers) and the tractor… so she didn't have much of a choice.

Happy she had finally gotten away from being stuck on the hill –_not that it was that much of a hassle, if we're honest I was enjoying the scenery_- she accelerated and continued on her way, wind flapping her hair all around her face as she drove with the windows down. Turning up her stereo so that she could hear it over the noise of the wind, Aria started singing along to her favourite band, Amplifier, "climb aboard the wave, to somewhere you ain't never been and in a world of make believe-"

Something flashed to her left and Aria, stopping her singing abruptly, shifted her eyes to see what it was. Not noticing anything immediately, and also trying very hard not to look too much as she was driving, shrugged and carried on singing, "I'm gonna catch a ride and see what I can see. I'm gonna climb inside of my time machine into another dimensi-"

Out of nowhere, large amounts of what Aria could only imagine was hay, suddenly hit her window screen and she gave a little shriek of surprise, her car swerving slightly on the road. The hay was gone as soon as it had arrived, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. _That serves you right for trying to look out of the window at something that flashed when you're driving- it's probably just a window reflecting the light, you moron._

"Wha- hay? Where did that come from?" It suddenly hit her that there was no traffic in front of her –or behind her for that matter- so where on earth had the hay come from? _It must have blown from the side of the road, obviously._

Growling in frustration at herself for getting scared over some hay, she continued on her way, still singing along.

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Flinging her keys onto the hallway table, Aria opened the door into her kitchen. Immediately she was greeted by her young, black and white moggie cat, George, who meowed at her indignantly for being left alone all day. Laughing, she picked him up and gave him a cuddle. She bundled him under her right arm, and used her left hand to open the fridge and grab a bottle of sparkling lemonade.

"Right George, that's enough cuddles for you- I'm dying for a drink right now. You've no idea how hot it was in my car, even with the windows down I felt like I was in the middle of a desert!"

"Meow!"

"Don't give me that, I'm sure you've had plenty to do and play with all day." Shaking her head that she was talking to her cat –_ my God I must be lonely –_ Aria poured herself a drink and went into her garden. The sun was still beaming, despite it already being nearly eight o'clock.

Aria pulled a chair away from the shade so she could soak up a bit of sun, "This is the life, a nice bit of sun is what I need after today." _And it would be nice to make my frustratingly white skin gain a bit of a tan…_

Even knowing she shouldn't fall asleep in the sun, especially given that her skin was so fair, Aria felt her eyelids drooping shut…

"CLANG! CLANG! HUFF! Argh, you got me!" Jerking awake, Aria wondered what the hell was going on. Rushing to the wall that surrounded the right side of her garden, she climbed onto her recycling bin to peer over.

"What the…" Across the road were two men dressed in armour! _In this weather?! Are they MAD?! Even in normal English weather, why on EARTH would they be in armour?_

"Oh, it must be practise for that Tewkesbury Medieval Festival or something… hmmm." _Some people really take it seriously…_ Shaking her head, she looked up and over the wall again and saw that both men had vanished. _Oh Jeez, they must be running all over Oxford practising… they're fast though..._

Jumping back down, Aria moved her chair into the shade, _just in case I have sun stroke and started to imagine things_…

Taking another gulp of her drink, Aria thought back to a medieval festival she had gone to when she was a young girl. It had been quite fun, as far as she could remember, and she was able to pat the mane of a horse that had been involved in the jousting competition – this had been the highlight of the entire thing. She grinned thinking about the medieval dress she had tried on- it had been far too big for her and she felt really stupid as an 8 year old in a woman's dress, but at the same time, she felt quite regal. Aria stayed outside for a few more minutes then headed back inside to cook some dinner.

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_**31**__**st**__** July 2013**_

The following morning, Aria headed into work like normal. She loved her drive in the mornings as she got to travel through some truly beautiful villages- Burford, Bibury and Barnsley Village. _It must be something about villages beginning with 'B'! _

The weather was glorious again, so the drive was even more enjoyable- it definitely made the 70 minute commute more bearable, that's for sure. Turning off the main road just past Burford, Aria noticed something shining in the far distance. Straining her eyes to see what it was, she could faintly make out that shining was from light bouncing off two moving objects. Putting her foot down on the accelerator to get closer, Aria noticed it was two people and they appeared to be wearing armour, which caused the light to bounce off them.

"Again?" Aria muttered. _Was this a widespread addiction that had escaped my notice?_

Turning around a corner, Aria lost sight of the two duelling people, and when the road bent round again, they had gone. _That's weird, they've vanished again… I wonder if it was the same two people that I saw yesterday… _

Glancing to her left, Aria gasped when she saw a small village full of what could only be described as 'shacks' and small brick buildings. _Has that always been there? No I'm sure it hasn't- I drive this way every morning and that old looking village has never been there! _Looking back again, Aria saw that the village had vanished as quickly as it had appeared. _Oh my God, I'm going insane. Unless… unless it's a make shift village for this Medieval Festival? That must be it…_

As she carried on driving to work, she witnessed a few more incidents where she saw old buildings and strange people in armour out of the corner of her eyes. _This is worrying- I'm definitely seeing things. No, think rationally Aria- there must be an explanation! You've been watching too many historical programmes and mum is definitely right, you daydream far too much! It's affecting me, obviously. Come on, I'm a psychologist for goodness sake, I must have a reason for this somewhere in my head! _But as try as she might, Aria was stumped at what was happening- her job and forte was focused on business psychology, so helping recruit and develop the right people, and it had been a couple of years since university when she had studied clinical psychology.

Aria shuddered, "this isn't funny, there's no reason I should be seeing things like this. There is nothing there. There is _nothing _there." Trying to talk herself into agreeing that there was nothing there seemed to be working - that was until she drove past Barnsley Village and was confronted with the most magnificent castle she had ever seen in her life.

"Holy crap!" she screamed, _What the HELL? _Slamming on her breaks – and thankfully no cars were behind her – she swerved into a lay by and stared at the castle in front of her. It was a beautiful white-walled castle with lots of majestic spires pointing into the sky, with flags adorning them. _Right, Aria BREATHE, take one breath at a time, that's it, breathe…_

Aria blinked and held her head in her hands, _this isn't happening. There must be a logical explanation… _Nothing. There was nothing that she could fathom about what was happening. Nothing that could explain it. Looking back up, the castle had vanished, replaced by the empty fields that had been there previously.

Shakily, she reached down, put her car into first gear and carried on driving to work. Thankfully she didn't witness any more strange visions – that was the only word she could think of to explain what she had seen – and as she pulled into her work car space, she wondered if maybe she needed to get more sleep.

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Aria left work in high spirits – she'd managed to impress the client she had visited the day before and her boss was really happy with her. _Finally! I'm getting appreciated! Such a great feeling! _

Humming, she strapped herself into the car and went to drive home. _Ellie and Maria are coming this weekend as well, I'm so glad it's Friday! _She had almost forgotten about her visions earlier that morning. Almost. _Let's push those to the back of my mind, enjoy my Friday afternoon drive and look forward to Ellie and Maria tomorrow!_

Still no visions after 40 minutes into her journey, Aria grinned, "Yes! Obviously I was just tired and down that I hadn't been appreciated at work- thank God for that."

However, Aria's good fortune did not last. As she approached her house, she nearly drove into the two men she had seen fighting in armour the night before. It seemed as though they hadn't seen her though, and she growled, frustrated that they were taking up the road when they should be in a field or something if they wanted to play around with swords. She rolled down her window and asked them if they wouldn't mind moving out of the way- they just ignored her.

"What's wrong with you? Can't you hear me? Move out the road! I need to get home- go on, go to the field round the corner, you have loads of room to play there!"

Still ignoring her, Aria realised that actually both of these men were very attractive. The one on the left had dusty blonde hair and even though he was a few metres away, she could tell he had blue eyes. The armour looked very realistic, Aria had to say – the chainmail was glistening in the sun and the red fabric of his top was patched with sweat. _They aren't wearing helmets though, interesting… I thought armour consisted of helmets too? _She also noticed sweat at the top of his brow. _No wonder, it's boiling hot and he's in full armour fighting- of course he'll be sweating profusely! The guy is obviously well built, just look at those arm muscles! _He was focusing intently on the fight he was having and looked serious about winning.

Glancing across to the other guy, Aria noticed he was just as good looking but also very different. He too was well-built and toned, but instead of dusty blonde hair he had dark brown hair which seemed to hang down into his eyes. He looked a lot more rugged than the blonde, with a beard, mischievous looking brown eyes and a smirk gracing his lips.

Raising an eyebrow, Aria tried again, "Look, you're looking great and all but I really must be getting back home- I have to clean, cook and prepare everything for tomorrow for my friends. Please- can you just move out of-"

"BEEP!" Aria jumped and turned around, _why do people keep beeping their horns right behind me recently? It's annoying!_

"Can you get a move on luv? Why you stopped in the middle of the road?"

Hanging out of the window of the car behind, was a topless, middle aged man. He waved at her, "Go on- get a move on!"

Flicking her head back to in front of her, both armoured men had vanished. Gulping down bile, Aria waved out of her window and carried on her way. Pulling into her car space, she slowly got out the car and walked back to her house in a trance. _This can't be happening._

Patting George briefly on the head when she got in, Aria did the only thing she could do- went straight to bed.

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The next morning, Aria woke up feeling really groggy, with George pressed along her right side by her neck. She groaned, _Eurgh, that's what I get for sleeping for so long- a stiff back and a horrible, groggy feeling._ She sat up, George giving her 'the eye' and meowing, unhappy that he had been woken up. Checking what time it was on her mobile, she grinned seeing it was almost nine o'clock. _Yes! A nice, long sleep and a good two hours to prepare lunch and clean the house until Ellie and Maria arrive_.

Jumping up out of bed, she noticed she hadn't even changed into her pyjamas and was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Undressing, she went into the bathroom and jumped in the shower. Feeling the warm water gliding over her made her feel even better and she quickly washed and got out, wrapping a towel around her. Feeling rejuvenated, she looked through her wardrobe and picked out a white skirt with small flowers in lace on it, and a blue short sleeved, plain top.

She had an OK figure she thought – she wasn't massively skinny, but liked having some curves and a bit of meat on her. Being five foot six was also nice- although, coupled with her tiny, size 4 feet, she often lost her balance and had to run to catch up with fast walkers.

Satisfied with how she looked in the mirror, Aria brushed her hair and tied it up into a pony tail. Meanwhile, she heard George playing around with water dripping from the tap in the bathroom – he always did have a fascination with water, she didn't know why.

Sorting out a few things in her bedroom, Aria spent the next hour tidying the house up. When she was satisfied, she prepared a salad for lunch. Her friends thought her crazy for eating so healthy when she didn't need to lose any weight, '_After all Aria, you're only a size 10!'_ Ellie would joke with her, but Aria wasn't concerned with weight, she wanted to be healthy to save her insides. She still remembered a biology lesson she had when she was 16, which explained about atherosclerosis and how fatty deposits built up in your blood vessels if you ate too much fat, and this led to heart attacks and things like that. Even if some of the details have been forgotten/skewed, she wasn't taking any chances! She had tried to explain this to Ellie and Maria, but they just grinned at her and obviously thought she was just focusing on her weight.

All too soon, the doorbell rang and Aria bounded towards it to let Ellie and Maria in. She had contemplated telling them about her visions, and after debating whether to with herself all morning, had decided she would tell them. _They'll think I'm mad, but I think I have to tell someone._

"Eeee Aria! It's been too long!" Ellie flung herself at her friend in a rib crushing hug. "I've really missed you- you're crap at communicating, you really should call me more often."

Aria hung her head at being scolded, and Maria added, "Come off it Els, she's been busy with work and stuff- give 'er a break!"

Ellie gave a playful glare, "Hmph. Fine, fine- but you know it's just because I missed you!"

"I know guys, I'm sorry, things have been kinda mental at work – you know how it is. I've been trying to impress my boss and finally things may be looking up!"

"That's great!" both agreed in unison.

"Anyway, come in, come in, I have lots to tell you- and actually, something really weird has been happening recently and I want your opinion."

"Of course, but first, where is Georgie-kins?!" Maria breezed past and picked a nervous George up, to hug him. Once he remembered who she was, he relaxed and meowed at her, whilst sniffing her neck.

"Oh, he's so cute!"

"Haha, yeah, he's _acting_ cute more like. Anyway, want a drink?"

"Can I have a coke?"

"A lemonade for me please!" Maria shouted from the other room.

"Sure- go sit in the living room and I'll be in in a minute."

Aria grabbed their drinks, along with a coke for herself, and sat down next to Ellie. "OK guys, so I'm going to tell you what's been happening- I need you to be brutally honest with me and tell me what you think, OK?" They both nodded, so she continued, "Right, so I've been having these visions-"

"Holy Christ, you aren't thinking you're psychic are you?" Maria asked, raising her left eyebrow. _I did love Maria, really I did, but it was annoying when she butted in without letting you explain._

"Maria! Let her talk!" Ellie scolded. _Ah, bless Ellie, always sticking up for me._

Aria smiled lightly, "NO- I do NOT think that I am psychic Maria, let me explain…" So Aria recounted all that had happened in the last couple of days to them, noticing how their eyebrows seemed to get higher on their foreheads as she continued her story.

"Wow, that's…"

"Crazy?" Maria added unhelpfully. Aria rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know it sounds mad."

"Sounds mad? It _is _mad! You saw all of this though? Truly?"

"Yes, it's been freaking me out, naturally."

"Well, at least the guys were cute right?" Maria grinned at me. Aria rolled her eyes again.

"Hmm…"

"What Els?"

"It's strange, that's true. But Aria, if you say you saw it, I believe you. Now we just have to work out what it was or is."

"You believe me?"

"Yes, I do."

"But Ellie it's not like I don't believe that she _saw _these things, but there's no way this could have actually happened! Just no way!" Aria could tell Maria was getting worked up, she rubbed her temples, _maybe I shouldn't have said anything…_

Suddenly, Aria whipped her head towards the French doors leading into her back garden. Yes, there it was again, the unmistakable sound of clashing swords.

"Oh my God! They're back! Can you hear it?" Maria and Ellie looked at Aria blankly. She jumped up, opened the French doors and ran outside, and yes, the men in armour were definitely back. She could hear them joking about something, _something about a moving target and how it served him right? What could that mean?_

"Can you not hear that?" Both girls tried, but to no avail. "No, sorry Aria, we can't hear anything…"

Aria started to shake, so she rushed back inside, and sat on the sofa with her head in her hands. "What's happening to me?"

Ellie looked at Maria pointedly, "I don't know sweetie, but there's definitely nothing out there. Maybe you should take a break from work? Just a few we-" But Ellie was cut off as Aria suddenly cried out in pain as a white light flashed and enveloped her. She could hear ringing in her ears and her vision started to blur and shake.

Ellie and Maria gasped as Aria was surrounded in a bright light. They both covered their eyes and involuntarily took a step back.

"Ah- what? Argh, my head!" Aria found herself in a lot of pain, her head pounding as result of the light and noise.

Both Ellie and Maria looked up and saw Aria had levitated about half a foot off the sofa and had her hands clasped over her eyes, evidently blocking out some form of painful noise. They both gasped and Aria lifted her head up and opened one eye to look at them. Suddenly, Aria felt herself falling backwards, as if she was falling through the sofa and the floor - the last thing she saw was Ellie and Maria looking shocked, reaching out to grab her whilst calling her name, and George hissing, evidently upset my something… but it was too late. Aria had already succumbed to the darkness.

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_**Camelot, Date Unknown**_

Merlin had gotten lost. Again. _Why is it, EVERY time we go hunting, I get separated from Arthur? It's like he does it on purpose. Actually I'm sure of it._ Sighing, Merlin looked around for any sign of the Knights. Seeing none, he decided to head back towards the castle, _better than walking around lost all day._

"HISSSSS! CRACK!" Merlin immediately ran and hid behind a tree. _Is this magic? It feels like magic. _To his right, he saw a hole- like a bright, circular orb, open up near the top of the trees, and from it, fell a girl.

"_Sæfarneņ_" Merlin held his hand out and aimed his spell at the girl, slowing her speed until he could levitate her slowly onto the ground.

Running over to her, he noticed that she was wearing strange clothes and showing far too much skin. Blushing, he hastily looked around for something he could cover her with. Finding nothing, he scratched his head, leant down and checked she was alright. The girl was pretty, there was no doubting that,_ but where did she come from? It is obvious she is not of this land. Gaius would know, I must get her back to the castle immediately. But how, without anyone seeing? _

Before he had any more time to contemplate this, he noticed the girl had started to frown and move slightly. He leant forward to see if she was alright.

"Ow- what the hell was that? Eurgh." Struggling to try and sit up, Aria noticed she still had a huge headache and felt dizzy. As she fell down again, she felt a pair of strong arms prevent her from smacking her head into the floor. Her eyes flew open, and the last thing she saw before she passed out again, was the most beautiful pair of sparking, blue eyes.

**A/N- there's chapter one folks! Let me know what you think- please, constructive feedback! No flames, thank you. I know it's quite long and wordy, but now we are getting into the story more, you'll be seeing a lot more of the Merlin characters! Also, as an additional note, I've decided to create a magic 'language' instead of using that in the Merlin show, so that I can ensure consistency and that it fits exactly what I want it to say/mean.**


	2. Chapter 2: Introductions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. Please remember that I do not own, make money off of, or profit from this story and/or its characters in any way. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart,** **GemStoneLovely** and **ImaLady** for your reviews! I'm glad you are enjoying the story :) Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

Please leave **constructive** comments- no flames please. I'm just trying out this story as I've been thinking about it for a while now, so it would be useful to get some comments and feedback from readers :)

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

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**Chapter 2: Introductions**

_**Camelot, Date Unknown**_

Merlin managed to get the girl to Gaius's chamber without anyone seeing. He'd had a few close calls, but had managed to evade notice by hiding behind tapestries and doors in the castle, with the girl levitated vertically besides him. If anyone had seen him, it would have looked quite strange, he was sure of that.

Merlin huffed, _Arthur's probably still hunting in the forest and hasn't even noticed I've gone. Prat._

He headed towards Gaius's chamber, where his old mentor and father-figure worked and kept all of his potions and medicines. _If anyone can help, Gaius can. He's been around so long he's bound to have seen something like this before…_ Pushing the big, wooden door open, Merlin shouted, "Gaius, I need your help!"

Looking over the top of his book, Gaius raised his left eyebrow at Merlin, "Weren't you out hunting with Arthur?"

"Yes, I was, but… never mind that. I found a girl, she fell out of this orb… thing. I think it was magic." At this, Gaius quickly raised out of his chair and hurried over to the floating girl Merlin had brought to him.

"Orb _thing?_ And Merlin, what if somebody had seen you? What if _Uther_ had seen you?"

"Yes, it was a bright, shining orb, and I am sure that it was magic."

"Don't ignore me, Merlin. Bringing her like this was reckless! Did anyone see you?"

"No Gaius, they're all out hunting with Arthur. Not that any of them would notice magic, even if it hit them in the face–"

"That's not the _point_ Merlin. If you are seen using magic, Uther will put you on trial as a sorcerer. He will sentence you to death. You've been in Camelot long enough to know this, what is wrong with you?"

Knowing Gaius was right, Merlin looked sheepish, "I'm sorry Gaius, I wasn't thinking…."

"No, you weren't." Gaius responded, with an unamused look on his face.

"But Gaius, I just _had_ to help her, I felt like it was my duty… I can't explain it, but I knew it was important to bring her here and to make sure she was alright."

Gaius sighed, shaking his head, and motioned towards the girl, "Do you know who she is?"

Merlin shook his head, "I have no idea, she passed out before I could ask her anything."

"Hm. Look at her closely Merlin, what makes her different from all the other people you've brought to me?"

"I- um, she's a woman?"

"Really, Merlin. How very observant of you. I used to worry your magical talents had been wasted, but evidently I was wrong."

Merlin pursed his lips, _Gaius, always sarcastic._ He looked at the girl again, "What she's wearing, it's very strange. I've not seen anything like it before. She's… well she's showing an awful lot of skin…" Merlin felt the tip**s** of his ears burn with embarrassment.

Choosing to ignore Merlin's obvious discomfort, Gaius nodded, "Indeed. It seems as though this attire was intentional, which is very interesting." Gaius motioned for Merlin to lay the girl on a nearby work bench.

Merlin could tell that Gaius was thinking of something else, "Anything else?"

"No." Gaius was lost in thought, wondering who the mysterious girl was.

Merlin sighed, _I'll have to wait for Gaius to give her a medical check-up, to see if that reveals anything about who she is and why she is here. I'll speak to Kilgharrah tonight to see if he knows anything._

As if reading his mind, Gaius turned to Merlin and said, "Merlin, please leave us. I know you want to know more, but I need to ensure this girl is healthy and has no ailments which may be affecting her, or which could pass on to others."

"What should I do then?"

"Perhaps it would be wise to go back to the forest to find Arthur. Remember what the prophecy said, you are to remain by-"

"Arthur's side, I know, I'm going." With that, Merlin turned around and headed back to the forest.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin grumbled as he got smacked in the face for the fifth time by a low hanging branch. _The forest is out to get me today, I'm sure of it._

"It's all because that bloody clotpole ran off and-"

"_Mer_lin, just where have you been?" Stopping in his tracks, Merlin turned around slowly, already knowing who had spoken, as there was only one person who would emphasise his name in such a way.

"Me, sire?"

"No, my other manservant."

"Um… but, I-"

"You really are an idiot, aren't you, Merlin?"

"Takes one to know one."

"I'm in a good mood today Merlin, so I'll choose to overlook that."

"Right."

Giving him a pointed look, Arthur continued, "every time we go hunting, you either get lost or hide behind a tree like a girl. Merlin, is there anything you're actually capable of doing?"

"I put up with you." Merlin answered, smirking.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur walked up to Merlin and smacked him on the back of the head, "Come _on_, we've been waiting for you for ages. We're going back to the castle. I caught a nice big deer for tonight."

Snorting, Merlin commented under his breath, "Like that will feed the entire dinner hall."

"What, Merlin?"

Merlin rubbed the back of his head, "Nothing, you're right, let's go back to the castle."

"And what must we not do again?"

"Get lost when on a hunting trip." Merlin sighed.

"Yes, that's right Merlin. Well done."

Trudging after Arthur, Merlin couldn't help but wonder about the girl he had found this morning. She was so mysterious, _and rather beautiful. _Thinking about her again, he blushed thinking of her pale skin, with rosy cheeks and pink lips. Her eyes had been green in colour, and he wished he'd been able to look into them for longer. She had straight, blonde hair which reached down to her elbows, and had been silky to touch. _I've never felt hair so soft._ Blushing again, Merlin banished thoughts of her from his head and ran a few steps to catch up with Arthur.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Back in his chambers, Gaius had finished giving the mysterious girl a medical check-up and had concluded that she was perfectly healthy. He realised she would need appropriate attire, in case others happened to walk into his chambers requiring medicine or aid. He quickly swept up to the second floor of the castle, where he bumped into Guinevere. He asked her if she would mind bringing him a woman's dress. Receiving a strange look, Gaius immediately began to bumble and explain that the dress wasn't for him, but was in fact for a young woman that had been rescued. Smiling, she had agreed, and ten minutes later, had brought him one of her dresses. Gaius went on to ask her whether she would mind dressing the girl, and Guinevere happily agreed to help. _At least that will stop Merlin going bright red just from looking at her. He might need to help with his magic if we are to work out what has happened to her. _

All that was left to do was for her to wake up so he could ask her a few questions. Merlin had been so sure that magic had been the cause of her appearance, but where she had come from, Gaius was not certain. Walking over to his desk, he poured himself a glass of water and sat down on his rickety stool. _Her clothes were not of this realm, and I doubt other Lands would allow such revealing __attire__. Where did she come from?_

**BANG!** Merlin came thundering through the door, "Has she woken up, Gaius?"

"Not yet, but she might havewith all the racket you are making. My goodness boy, what's chasing you?"

"Ah, sorry Gaius, um... well I wanted to make sure she was alright."

"Hm."

Moving over to where the girl lay, Merlin noticed she was wearing different clothes.

"Her clothes have changed."

"Yes, I asked Gwen for help and she dressed the girl. Gwen had quite a hard time considering she was completely unconscious for the entire exchange."

"If that didn't wake her up, I wonder what will."

"Quite a lot, I would think. What happened in the forest? Did you find Arthur?"

"Sir prat? Yes, eventually. He called me a girl though."

Gaius raised his eyebrow, "Any particular reason?"

"He said I always hid behind a tree when there was any sign of danger."

"And do you?"

"Well, yes- but only so I can do magic without him seeing!"

"No wonder he thinks that then Merlin, do use your brain, I was so sure you had one."

"But that's not the point- uh, never mind." Merlin knew Gaius was winding him up, but after the day he'd had, he wasn't particularly in the mood. He wanted to speak to this girl as soon as possible, he had so many questions for her. There was something about her, he felt like an invisible force was pulling him to her. He just _had_ to know more about her.

"Merlin, I have to see Uther for his weekly check-up, can you clean the leech tank whilst I'm away? Thank you." Without waiting for a reply, Gaius walked swiftly out of his chambers.

Groaning, Merlin trudged over to the cupboard to get the rags and drainer for the leeches. Staring at the grimy tank, with about twenty leeches stuck around the sides, Merlin groaned even louder. _Great, my day is getting better and better. _

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Leeches!"

Aria slowly opened her eyes to the distant mumbling of someone and immediately closed them again, _the light is so bright in here- ugh, I feel terrible. What happened? _Bringing her hand up to her face, she rubbed her forehead, just above her eyes. This always seemed to help when she had a headache, and sure enough she felt the pain start to subside.

"Argh, bloody leeches. Maybe I should put one in his bed…"

Groaning, Aria tried to sit up. "Where… where am I? What happened? Who are you?"

Jumping at the sudden voice behind him, Merlin swirled round to face the girl. She raised her eyebrows at him, _who on earth is he, and why is he holding- wait, are those… leeches? Holy crap, why the hell would he have leeches? Eurgh they look gross._

"You're awake! How are you feeling?" Merlin vigorously started wiping his grimy hands on the rag next to him.

"I'm feeling… disorientated. Where am I?"

"You're in Camelot, you're safe now. What's your name?"

Blinking stupidly, Aria replied, "I'm sorry, for a moment there I thought you said Camelot."

"Um, yes I did."

Aria's eyes widened dramatically, _this must be some cosplaying thing they're doing for that medieval festival- yep, must be. Talking of cosplaying, why am I wearing a medieval style dress?!_"Did you undress me?!" she screeched.

"No! No I didn't, I think Gwen did…" _Gwen… why did that name sound familiar?_"…so you weren't uncomfortable in what you were wearing. You… weren't wearing that much…" Merlin petered off, not quite sure what to say and not wanting to make eye contact with her.

Aria was stood in shock. Looking around her, she noticed she was in some sort of ancient- looking room. It looked similar to her chemistry lab back at school, but a lot messier and dustier. _There's lots of spider webs as well, oh God, I hope I don't see any spiders._ She swung her legs off the bench she was on – _bench, no wonder I'm sore –_ and saw in front of her a table full of all sorts of bottles and tubes. On the far wall was a bookcase full of old books, and a staircase which led to another balcony area with even more books and strange looking instruments.

Looking to her left, she took in the boy – no man, in front of her in more detail. He was tall, definitely taller than her, and was wearing a blue top with a brown jacket over the top. _Is that a neck scarf? Did they wear those in medieval times?_ His dark hair hung just above his eyes, and looking directly into them, she noticed how blue they were. _They are like the colour of a clear, summer's day sky- so blue, they're beautiful and captivating..._ Blushing slightly, Aria thought he had a dorky sort of a charm, then she remembered the blue eyes she saw before she passed out and realised this man must have been the one to catch her and bring her here. _Wherever here really is,_ _because there is no way this is really Camelot._

_Wait a minute, I was in my front room, so how on earth did I… wait. _"Where are Ellie and Maria?"

"I'm sorry, I onlyfound you, um…" He gestured towards her.

"Aria, sorry, it's Aria."

Merlin blushed and had to look down while speaking, "Welcome to Camelot Aria. You were alone when I found you, are you sure they came with you?"

"Well, I'm not too sure. One moment I was in my living room and the next I felt like I was falling… and then I woke up here… how did I get here? Was I drugged? Did you drug me?!" Aria knew it was a wild accusation, but she couldn't think of any other explanation, at least not any other explanation that made sense.

"Living room?" A confused look passed across Merlin's face, followed swiftly by shock, "Dr… drugged? You think someone would do that to you? You think _I_ would do that to you?" A hurt look crossed his face.

Aria instantly felt bad, "Yes, No, I don't know! I don't know how or why I'm here. Ugh, my head still hurts." Rubbing her temples, she continued, "So where are we really?" Aria couldn't put her finger on it, but she really didn't feel like this man was a threat. She felt… safe with him, almost like she had known him for many years. And for some reason she wasn't able to fathom, she felt she could trust him.

"Um… Camelot."

"Look, I know you're trying to keep in character but I really must be going home. Please, where are we?"

"I'm sorry Aria, but you really are in Camelot. Why, did you think you were somewhere else, like Mercia or somewhere?"

"Mercia? What? No I was in Oxford!"

"Oxford? I'm not familiar with that place. How far is it from Camelot?"

"Oh, for goodness sake, this is ridiculous." Walking over to the window, Aria looked out to gauge where she was. _I'm sure I'll see some kind of landmark which will help me work out where I am._ Looking out of the window, Aria gasped in shock. _What, this can't… NO. This can't be happening! This is impossible! _Her mouth hung open as she took in the view before her. She figured she must have been in some sort of tower, for below her was a walled city, full of mud huts and small, brick houses. She could see hundreds of people milling about, some selling their wares, others buying them. Gulping some more air, Aria's eyes wandered away from the bustling city below to beyond the walls. A great forest spread across the horizon, and Aria had the sudden urge to explore it.

Merlin watched in silence as Aria took in her new surroundings.

"I don't think this has been created for a festival." Aria managed to get out. _I think I'm starting to hyperventilate, I might pass out again._

"Sorry?" Merlin noticed she had started to sway, so he gently put his arm on her elbow, "You should sit down, you're still recovering."

Nodding, Aria allowed him to propel her back towards the bench she had been lying on previously. She still felt in shock. _Just what is going on?_

After sitting for a moment, what she had just seen started to sink in. "I- I just don't understand." Suddenly, Aria felt tears start to well up in her eyes. _I can't believe I'm going to cry, this is pathetic. It's not like anything particularly bad has happened, I'm sure there must be a rational explanation for this… there must be._ She started wracking her memory for psychological disorders that could lead to someone actually believing they were in a whole new universe. _There are different types of schizophrenia, but they are more related to auditory visions, not full blown 'my body is in another dimension' visions. Multiple personality disorder, no that's not right. Any other personality disorder? Narcissistic, borderline… no, there's nothing. Absolutely nothing! Is it something new? Something unknown?_

Looking up she said, "I was at home with my friends, how did I get here? You're telling me this is Camelot, but that's impossible. Camelot is a fable, a myth, a bedtime story for children!"

Merlin frowned, "What do you mean? How can Camelot be a myth?"

Aria shook her head, "I'm sorry, I'm being rude, I-I've just had a shock, I don't know." Sniffing, Aria wiped her right hand across her eyes. Merlin, noticing she was getting upset, leant forward and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't cry Aria, we'll find a way to get you home. To… Oxford? I can ask Arthur if you'd like, he's very knowledgeable about-"

Jumping at this, Aria turned to look at Merlin, surprise clearly etched on her face. "Arthur?! As in, King Arthur?"

"He's not King yet, but he will be. One day he will be the greatest King Camelot has ever known. The Once and Future King." Merlin paused for a moment and smiled at the thought.

Aria started to shake. _I have gone mad, I must be in a coma and dreaming this. Did I have any strange medication? Any dodgy food? No… Well is this a dream? Did I imagine Ellie and Maria this morning? _Aria pinched herself, hard. "Ouch!" _No, not a dream._

Merlin saw Aria pinch herself and gave her a questioning look. Sheepishly she said, "Never mind, had to try it" and turned her eyes away from him, staring intently at her hands which were entwined on her lap.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to ask for your name."

"I'm Merlin."

Aria looked up and burst into hysterical laughter. That's _just_ what she needed to add the cherry on top of the cake. _Unbelievable. I really do daydream too much, now my unconscious mind has generated a handsome Merlin._" Aren't you meant to be an old man? You know, 'Merlin's beard!' and all that? But no, my mind does one better and turns you into a young and attractive man! Brilliant!" Aria started to laugh again.

Merlin's face turned crimson at being complimented by a pretty girl.

"This is great, truly. I really did need a break from work! I've obviously gone insane!"

Merlin frowned, and thinking that she might have concussion asked,"How is your head, is it feeling better?"

Wiping tears from her eyes after laughing so much, Aria replied, "Yes, actually it's gotten a lot better thank you. Now, anyway, thank you _Merlin_, but I must be off. Unless you can magic me out of here by any chance?"

Merlin froze. "M-magic?"

Noticing his reaction, Aria gave him a confused look, "Well yes. Merlin, the greatest wizard to have ever lived and all that. That's who you're trying to be, right?"

Merlin stood frozen and Aria had no idea why he had reacted so strangely. _All I did was mention magic. If he was cosplaying or something as a wizard, why would that unnerve him?_

"How do you know?" Merlin whispered.

"Of course I know, everyone knows who Merlin is!"

"No, Aria. Only Gaius knows my secret- well, and my mother of course. Please, you mustn't tell anyone, especially Arthur. Promise me?"

"You don't really think you have magic, do you?"

Merlin held out his hand to her, "_Tre bærn suñ."_Magic swirled round in his hand, forming a red rose. Aria's eyes locked onto the rose forming in Merlin's hand. He held it out to her, and she gave a small shriek and pushed him away from her, causing her to fall off the bench as a result. Aria felt pain shoot up her right side as she landed on the hard, cobblestoned floor, and she groaned. Then, remembering why she had sprung away so quickly, she desperately tried to drag herself away from Merlin. Gasping, with tears springing from her eyes, Aria backed into the corner of the room.

"How did you do that?" Aria instantly regretted her actions, when she saw the hurt in Merlin's eyes. The flower had vanished. _I couldn't help it though, I guess my reaction is to 'flight' not 'fight'._

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I- I'll leave you alone." Merlin turned away from her and went to leave.

"No! Wait! Please!" Merlin froze at her voice. "I'm sorry Merlin, it's just, magic doesn't exist where I'm from... it's all magicians and fakes, none of it is real! Christ, I still don't really believe it… I mean, I must be dead or in a coma, there's just no way this is happening! I mean, how is this possible? Argh, I'm rambling, I'm making it worse aren't I?" _Crap. I always talk too much when I'm nervous._ Aria stood up and walked towards Merlin carefully. She was still wary, but she felt that Merlin was a good person. _All of the myths and stories depicted Merlin as one of the good guys, so let's hope they weren't wrong._

"Merlin, I'm sorry. Truly."

Merlin turned around to face her. "Don't be sorry Aria, I'm sorry that I scared you. It was too soon after you had woken up, I don't know what I was thinking, you knew I had magic so I-"

Aria shook her head, effectively cutting him off. "No, I shouldn't have run away from you like that."

Noticing her wince slightly, Merlin remembered how she had landed, "Oh, your side! Let me look, I can put some anti-bruise lotion on it."

Aria blushed, "It's OK, it doesn't really hurt, I'll be fine. But thank you." It then hit her that she had called him attractive, _Oh my God, but hopefully he'll have breezed over that…_

"Are you sure?" Merlin asked her, breaking her train of thought.

"Yes, I'm sure." _I'm not sure what is happening, but the city outside and the magic Merlin just performed definitely seems real. I can't seem to wake myself up, so I can only assume I must be in a coma… I mean, this can't truly be real can it? If it is… well, I don't know what to think. I think there was a television show where the main character went back in time- they seemed so calm and composed, how did they do it?! I feel like I'm going to explode any moment now. Aria, calm down- BREATHE._

Following her own advice and taking a deep breath, Aria continued, "Look Merlin, I think I need to start from the beginning and tell you what's happened to me. I sort of jumped to conclusions – you'll understand why soon hopefully- and I need to sort some things out in my head, and I think talking to you will help." _At least I hope so, I'm at a dead end right now, and I don't know what else to do. He'll probably think me crazy, but again I feel like I can trust him and that he will listen to me. Why do I feel like this towards him? I don't even know him!_

"Of course Aria, you can tell me anything. I promise."

"Merlin, do you promise me that we are in Camelot, you are truly Merlin, and that everything you have told me and I have seen so far has been real?"

"I do." Aria stared into his eyes, those beautiful, blue eyes, and just knew he was telling the truth. _Better to get it out in the open, maybe this will help… I can't believe I'm doing this, if this is all a trick, I'm going to feel really stupid afterwards…_

Aria took a deep breath, "Thank you. Merlin, I'm from the year… 2013, and I believe I've somehow… fallen over a 1000 years into the past - into your past. That's how I know your name, that's how I know who you are. Merlin, in my time, you're famous- the most famous wizard to have ever walked the earth." Taking another deep breath, and trying to ignore the shock and disbelief registering on his face, Aria continued, "and Merlin, you… well… you, King Arthur, the Knights of Camelot, they are a legend, a myth. There is no magic, and… you were never supposed to have existed."

**A/N- Let me know what you think about this chapter in the comments section- please, constructive feedback! No flames, thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3: A Plan

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart,** **ImaLady** and **Guest** (sorry I don't know who you are!) for your reviews! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

**A/N**- I was asked when this story would be taking place - it's starting after the end of season 3, but hasn't reached season 4 just yet ^.^ Also, some questions relating to how time is going to work (e.g. butterfly effect), will be explained soon~ It's going to be quite a long project, so things will get explained in time :) I didn't want to give everything away immediately ;D Hope you enjoy it!

Please leave **constructive** comments- no flames please.

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 3: A Plan**

After Aria had finished speaking, she looked at Merlin to gauge his reaction. Shock followed by disbelief, then sadness passed across his features. Aria hung her head and started to wonder if she'd done the right thing., She'd decided not to reveal too much to him, for fear that she could affect her own timeline, but enough so that he knew why she was panicking and freaking out over what was happening to her. _Oh crap, what if by telling him he didn't exist, I created a paradox?! What if telling him could change things, change everything? But wait... I've not told him of what exists in the future, just that magic isn't there… NO! Isn't that his main goal? To get Arthur to allow magic? I've just dashed his… eurgh, I'm terrible at this. But there was no other way to explain my reaction to him – he looked so sad and hurt when I pushed away from him. I must be careful not to divulge anything else, shit, have I changed something already?_ Paranoid, Aria pinched her arm again, just to check that she wasn't going to suddenly disappear. Nothing seemed to happen and she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I- I don't understand, magic doesn't exist in the future?" Merlin stuttered.

Aria winced, "No… well, maybe it does? We have a lot of fakes and magicians who don't practice _real_ magic. But who knows, maybe they do actually practice real magic?" Thinking about it, Aria realised she wouldn't know if this was true or not, so she wasn't technically lying to him…

"I see. Maybe they do then…" Though Merlin didn't sound very convinced.

"Yes! Yes, they could do! But Merlin, I'm sorry to have put this on you. I just panicked, and now I'm wondering if I should have told you."

"I'm glad you did, Aria. Thank you for trusting me with this. It's incredible, you're from the year, was it, 2013?"

Aria nodded in the affirmative.

"What's it like there?"

Aria hesitated, "I'm not sure I should divulge that. What if something bad happened? I don't want to change the future. Actually, I'm already worried that I've done that."

Merlin smiled at her, "Don't worry, I don't think you have. When you arrived I felt a surge of magic, but it wasn't evil magic. It- it felt… right. I can't explain it any other way. I-I think you were meant to arrive here. I don't feel like you were here by accident." Merlin blushed and looked away from Aria, embarrassed that he was stuttering because of talking to a pretty girl.

"I think I know what you mean. Well, I can't feel magic, but when I saw you, I felt like I'd known you for a long time and I knew I could trust you... I don't know why." Aria replied, and felt herself blushing in response. _No! Stop blushing!_

Merlin looked back into Aria's eyes, "Thank you, Aria. I will help you. I'll help you find a way to get home."

Instead of feeling the surge of gratitude and happiness at the prospect of going home, she felt a stab of disappointment in her heart. Shaking it away, she smiled, "Thank you, Merlin. Though I have no idea where to start."

"I think we should speak to Kilgharrah about this."

"Kilgharrah..?"

"Yes, he's the Great Dragon who I can call on for help."

Aria blinked at him, "Dragon…"

Merlin looked at her and another sad look crossed his face, "I'm guessing dragons don't exist in your time, either?"

Aria shook her head, looking down at her clasped hands again. _This keeps getting better and better, I keep sticking my oar in and messing things up._ God, maybe I should just stop talking all together.

"Let's see if we can go visit him now, before Gaius gets back and finds out…"

"Finds out what, Merlin?" Turning around slowly, Merlin and Aria saw Gaius stood in the doorway, an eyebrow raised at both of them. Neither had heard him enter. "I see you've woken up young lady, welcome to Camelot."

Aria blushed in embarrassment at having been caught talking behind this new stranger's back, "Ah, yes, I have woken up, thank you. My name is Aria. I'm sorry is your name Gaius? Merlin mentioned you when I woke up… did you look after me?" _I'm rambling again._

Gaius smiled warmly at her and nodded, "Yes it is, nice to meet you Aria. Indeed I did, how are you feeling?"

"A lot better now, thank you."

"Wait just a moment, Merlin." Gaius turned to look at his young apprentice, who had unsuccessfully tried to escape whilst he was talking to Aria. "I believe you were going to tell me what I was to find out?"

Sighing, Merlin looked over to Aria, who nodded her head at him. _It might be useful to have someone who is older and wiser on side to help. Though, what am I saying? Merlin is meant to be the strongest sorcerer to have every lived! If anyone can help, he can! But he does seem rather clumsy… _

"Gaius, there's something you need to know about Aria."

"Please, do go on Merlin, I haven't got all day, you know."

Nodding, Merlin launched into a brief summary of how Aria had somehow arrived in Camelot, and that she was from the future. Throughout the discussion, Gaius's eyebrows seemed to rise higher and higher on his forehead, which Aria found to be quite comical and had to bite her lip to prevent herself from laughing.

"I see." Gaius was stood deep in thought. Now that the truth was out yet again, for some reason, Aria found herself to be quite nervous, as she was wondering what his response would be. _I'd hoped for a bit more, really. _"That would certainly explain things."

Aria looked up, shocked, "You believe me? Just like that? Without any proof?"

"It is certainly a farfetched story, but I do believe you are telling us the truth. Your clothes were evidently not of this land, or even as we have found out, of this time. The way you talk is also slightly different and I cannot place your accent at all, which is something I pride myself on being quite successful at. Merlin, you should speak to Kilgharrah about this."

"I was going to, Gaius. I'm going to speak to him right away."

Gaius nodded, looking thoughtful. "It would be wise not to share this information with anybody else Aria. It could have terrible repercussions."

"Yes, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it to anyone – what if I've already affected the timeline somehow?"

"I think Kilgharrah can provide more insight into this than I can. Merlin, you'd best go speak to him immediately.**"**

Aria looked down again, _Gaius didn't say I hadn't affected it, he gave such a vague answer… oh God, what if I've really done damage to the timeline already? I need to see this Kilga-whatsit dragon immediately. I'm starting to feel nauseous – what if I've accidentally somehow deleted Ellie, or Maria?! What if I've somehow deleted the Queen?! _Feeling herself going into overdrive, Aria took a deep breath. _I must remain CALM, yes, breathe._

"Yes - let's go Aria." Merlin automatically reached out to grab her hand, causing Aria to grab his hand in return. Both of them seemed to realise immediately what they had done and started to blush profusely, frozen in place and staring at their joined hands.

Gaius felt a smirk pull at his lips at their reaction, but then this was replaced with sudden concern. He knew they must not- _could_ not- fall in love, as that could change the timeline irreparably.

Before he had time to think of a way to break them apart, a voice sounded near the doorway, "Well, well, well. The prodigal manservant has been found, and with a lady no less."

Merlin dropped Aria's hand as if it was on fire and turned to look at Arthur, embarrassment clearly written all over his face. Aria too, felt her face light up with embarrassment. _What's going on with me? I rarely get embarrassed and so far today, I've felt myself blush more than three times! This is ridiculous! _

"Arth- sire, you're here."

_Whoa, is that King Arthur? Wait… no, Merlin mentioned he was not King yet, so Prince Arthur? Hang on, I recognise- IT'S HIM! The blonde man I saw in my visions before I came to Camelot! He's still good looking, but I can imagine he's a bit of a player or a 'jock'. Crap, should I curtsey? _Aria made a little curtsey, having no idea if she was doing it right or not, and praying that Arthur wasn't really looking at her.

"Yes, indeed I am, Merlin. And just where have you been?" Without letting Merlin reply, he continued, "Because when I came back from hunting – with you in tow may I add - and took my horse to the stables, I turned around and you were… gone. And where do I find you, but here, not doing work." The whole time Arthur had been speaking, he had an amused expression on his face. When he mentioned the word 'gone', he had made a hand gesture in mid-air to demonstrate Merlin disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Without meaning to, Aria had found herself grinning at the way Arthur spoke to Merlin. _Wait, is Merlin some sort of servant to Arthur then? I suppose Merlin's clothes don't look like those nobility wear, not that I would really know any different, of course. But wasn't Merlin Arthur's advisor in the legends? No, Merlin said Arthur didn't know about his magic… But how can that be? How can he hide that from him? Surely Arthur must have realised by now?_

Merlin shifted slightly and glanced at Aria. He hadn't explicitly told her he was Arthur's manservant, and was hoping her startled reaction wouldn't be obvious. He noticed that she looked slightly surprised, but had given nothing away and was still smiling lightly at Arthur. He also smiled at her curtsey – she hadn't gone very low, but at least she had realised this man was Arthur, or nobility at least.

"Sorry, sire. I forgot to mention that I found a young lady in the forest earlier." Merlin gestured at Aria. "I was rushing to come back to make sure she was OK."

"You _forgot_ to mention it?"

"Um… yes, sire."

"So when I found you earlier, you had already been back to the castle?"

Telling himself off for an obvious mistake, Merlin nodded slowly, "Yes, sire. Aria was lost, and I thought it best to bring her to Gaius to make sure she was alright," he paused for a second, "she had some cuts on her."

Aria nodded in affirmation and lifted her arm up slightly to show a small cut, which she had received from her fall in the forest.

Arthur noticed and sighed, "Alright, Merlin. I'll let it go this time. But don't just wander off again, please?"

"Yes, sire."

Turning to face Aria head on, Arthur smiled at Aria, "Welcome to Camelot, Aria. Are you visiting for long?"

Aria had a sudden panic attack, she hadn't expected to meet Arthur so soon and had no idea how to address him or answer his question. _How long will I stay here? I have no idea…_

Gaius, realising it was best if he interrupted at this point, spoke up, "Sire, I have spoken to Aria about this already. She is currently looking for work and I have decided, if you permit it of course, to take her on as my second apprentice, to help me when Merlin is not around."

Both Aria and Merlin looked surprised, but Gaius shot them a 'don't say anything and play along' look, so they both kept their mouths shut, and instead nodded in agreement.

"I see. Yes, that sounds fine. I will need to run it past my father of course, although he's not feeling too well at the moment…" Arthur broke off, a look of sadness passing across his face.

Aria noticed this and wondered what had happened. _His father would be King Uther, I guess? I remember the legends making him out to be an evil King – I wonder if that's really true. I suppose I'll find out._

"Yes, sire." Gaius nodded.

"No, it's alright Gaius. I trust your judgement, Aria may work as your second apprentice. I will let my father know, and if he has any questions, I will let you know. For now, I give you my approval."

"Thank you, sire" Gaius bowed slightly, and Aria followed suit with a curtsey.

"Thank you, sire" Aria echoed. _I can't go wrong if I copy what's been said, right?_

"Not a problem. One thing though, where will you stay Aria? If you stay here, you'd have to share a room with Merlin here, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Aria felt her cheeks flame up, _not again! _She didn't dare look over at Merlin to see his reaction. Arthur smirked, knowing he had embarrassed Merlin.

"Sire, I may be able to help there." Arthur turned towards the door and saw Gwen walking into the room. "She can stay with me at my house, if you don't mind it." She added, looking over at Aria.

"Gwen-" Arthur responded, looking at Gwen with longing clearly showing in his eyes.

Aria smiled warmly at her in response, _she seems a really kind person, I can feel that already. No wonder Arthur has taken a liking to her._ "Oh, that's very kind of you…"

"Guinevere. But please, call me Gwen, everyone does."

Aria's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. _GUINEVERE?! As in King Arthur's WIFE? The QUEEN? What on earth is she doing not living with him? And why did she call him sire? Wait, her dress… of course, she was the lady who lent me the dress I'm wearing, I knew Gwen sounded familiar! But this dress is not befitting of a noble, even I can tell that. Don't tell me… she's not a noble? Wasn't she meant to be the daughter of a Lord or King or something? She's a servant as well?!_

"Thank you, Gwen, that's very kind." Aria managed to choke out. Merlin gave her a strange look, before realisation hit, and he knew she must know about Gwen from the future.

Arthur nodded, "Thank you, Gwen."

"It's no problem, sire." Gwen smiled at Arthur and blushed.

Aria cocked her head towards Merlin and dipped her head in their direction. He smiled at her and nodded. _I see, so there is something going on there. Interesting… I wonder how this will work out. In the stories from my time Arthur and Guinevere marry, but I didn't think royalty were allowed to marry servants in these times._

Turning back towards them, Arthur cleared his throat, "Right, that's sorted then. Merlin, follow me – you've got the stables to clean, then my clothing to sort, oh, and I need all my boots scrubbed."

Merlin groaned, "Lucky me."

Arthur, evidently ignoring this, smiled again at Aria, nodded to Gaius and then left swiftly. Merlin turned towards Aria, "Sorry, I best be off. Shall we talk later?"

Aria smiled, "Sounds good to me. When did you want to-"

"MERLIN!" Arthur's shout caused Merlin to wince.

"Sorry, must go!" With a final smile at her, Merlin ran from the room after Arthur.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Hurrying to catch up with Arthur, Merlin thought about everything Aria had said that morning. _It's so hard to believe, but there's no other way she could know so much about me and Camelot. I also feel like I can trust her, so I do believe her. _Merlin tried to ignore the little voice in his head which said that he believed her because he found her attractive. _That's not true, that's not the only reason! I felt the magic surrounding her when she arrived. Just because she has nice hands… Oh no, I can't believe I grabbed her hand like that, what was I thinking? She must think me so discourteous. _Being unable to help it, Merlin blushed just thinking about it. _Her hand was so small, and felt so soft in my hands. I want to hold them again…_

Arthur stopped in front of him, causing Merlin to run into his back.

"Thinking about something else are we? Or perhaps, someone else?" Arthur was smirking at him.

Merlin groaned, "No. I was thinking about which task to complete first."

"Of course you were, Merlin."

"Don't be such a dollop head."

"Dollop head!"

Merlin smirked, "Yep."

"You made that up, that's not even a real word!"

"I didn't."

"Describe dollop head then."

"Another word for dollop head is clotpole. Most commonly found in princes, especially those from Camelot."

"Very funny, Merlin." Arthur rolled his eyes and continued walking, whilst Merlin grinned at his own wit.

"I saw how you were looking at her. You have feelings for her." It wasn't a question, more a statement of the truth.

"No. Yes. Um… No! What? I mean, she's really nice and I like her… but not like that!"

"Mm-hmm." Arthur was still smiling, "So you just happened to find her in the forest?"

Merlin sighed, "Yes – she was lost and didn't know where she was."

"I see. Good job you found her then."

"Yes."

"At least you were being more useful than just hiding behind a tree at the first sign of an unknown noise."

"But I only do that to protect you!" Merlin snapped, then clamped his mouth shut. He knew Arthur was not meant to know about his magic, but he made it so _hard._

"Of course, Merlin. Of course."

By now, they had walked outside and were heading across the courtyard towards the stables. Merlin knew Arthur was winding him up, and was probably feeling sore that he had vanished on him earlier. _Maybe he was a bit worried by my disappearance… maybe. At least telling myself that makes me feel better!_

"Where did Aria come from?"

Breaking from his thoughts, Merlin replied, "Um… the Kingdom of… Oxford. Quite far away, too far away for you to know of it."

Arthur raised his eyebrow, "Too far for me to know of it? Are you implying I am unable to remember the names of the Kingdoms?"

"No, sire." Merlin was trying not to grin.

"I'll have you know, I DO know where the Kingdom of Oxford is." Arthur retorted.

"Where is it then?" Merlin couldn't help but provoke him. _He makes it so easy._

"To the north. Of course." With that, Arthur marched on ahead.

_At least it got him to stop asking questions about Aria. Aria… I really want to get to know her more. I know she cannot tell me about the future, but I want to get to know her as a person. What does she like? Dislike? There's so much I want to know about her._

Sighing, Merlin ran to catch up with Arthur again. _Today is going to be a long day, I know Arthur will have me working until nightfall. I'll have to sneak out and see Kilgharrah later._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~~0~

Aria watched Merlin run out after Arthur. _He's so clumsy, but he's definitely got a charm about him._ She turned towards Gwen, "Thank you Gwen, for offering me a place to stay. I'm truly grateful."

Gwen smiled, "Of course, it's no problem at all. May I ask what your name is?"

"Oh! Of course, it's Aria."

"Nice to meet you Aria." Gwen had noticed that Aria looked quite nervous and supposed that meeting the Prince had been quite nerve-wracking for her. As such, she was trying her best to make Aria feel welcomed in Camelot.

"Nice to meet you too, Gwen." Both women smiled at each other. _I really like her already. Oh my God, I get to live with Queen Guinevere! Despite the sheer panic I feel coursing through me right now, that's is very cool! Ellie and Maria definitely won't believe this. If I tell them I met Arthur and Merlin as well, they'll think I've gone mad. Hell, I think I've gone mad!_

Gwen jumped suddenly, "Oh, Gaius. Sorry, I originally came down here to see if you had any more calming potion. I was asked to take some to Uther right away. I can't believe I forgot."

"Ah yes, he mentioned he may need some more this morning. Please wait a moment." Gaius turned around and headed over to a bookshelf near the window Aria had looked out of earlier. She could see now that on one of the shelves, was an array of different sized and coloured bottles and pots.

Gwen nodded in response, then turned to Aria, "Where are you from, Aria?"

Aria panicked, _what should I say?! _"I'm from… the Kingdom of… Oxford."

Gwen looked puzzled, "Oxford?"

Before Aria could explain further, Gaius thankfully returned with a bottle of calming potion. "Here, Gwen. No more than 2 drops on the tongue each night."

"Yes Gaius, thank you. Aria, I'll come back in an hour when I have finished my duties, and I can take you to my house, where you can get settled in."

"Thank you." Aria slightly bowed her head and watched Gwen rush out of the room. Turning to Gaius she sighed and sagged on the desk behind her. "Well, that was stressful."

"Quite. How are you feeling?"

"I'm OK. I still feel quite shocked - I can't believe this is happening still. But I suppose I have to get over that, as it evidently _is _happening. But Gaius, how do I to fit in here? I don't know how to act! I said I was from the Kingdom of Oxford, what do I do?!"

"Don't worry, we will think of something. I think it's safe to say you are from the Kingdom of Oxford- we could say it is very far away, so that's why others may not have heard of it. Perhaps we could say the reason why you are here is because your old teacher passed on, and you wish to continue your apprenticeship training. I'm sorry, saying you were my second apprentice was the only thing I could think of to ensure you could stay close by, do you mind?"

"Not at all! Actually, I'd be quite interested in helping you. It would feel as though I had some purpose for being here as well, considering as I have no idea why I was brought here. I might be able to help with some medicines as well, you know, from my time."

Gaius looked thoughtful, "Maybe we can incorporate that for some severe cases, but I think we must be careful about how much information and knowledge is used from the future. That could have knock-on effects to our timeline."

Aria could have hit herself, "Of course- I should have realised…"

"Quite aright, don't worry, child."

Gaius smiled warmly at her. _I can see why he is a comfort to Merlin, he's really nice but also so calm and considerate. I feel happy that he knows where I'm from. He also seems very wise._

"What should I do now?"

"For now I think it is best you rest. You will need to purchase some belongings from the market, but you will need to go with Gwen for that."

"Money! I forgot, I don't have any money or anything. In fact, this is Gwen's dress, right? I'll have to return it and buy my own, but how? Where are my old clothes?"

Gaius chuckled, "Your old clothes are over there", he gestured towards a far bench, and sure enough, Aria saw her blue top and white skirt poking out from under a brown bag. "I'm sure Gwen won't mind you borrowing her dress for a while," he continued, "I'll ask her to take you around the town tonight when she picks you up, so you can purchase a few essentials. We can discuss your duties tomorrow when you are feeling better."

"Thank you, Gaius. I really appreciate all that you've done for me. Especially for a girl who has a strange story and no money." Aria smiled warmly at Gaius. _He really has done a lot for me already – made sure I was OK, given me a job, helped me get a place to stay… I wonder if this happens often around here? This sort of compassion and aid is rarely seen where I'm from. It's refreshing, but I suppose nowadays –or should I say, in the future – you can't be too careful with who you invite into your home, as it could be anybody. But still, it's nice._

"My pleasure, Aria. Besides, I think Merlin would have had my head, had I not helped you."

"He is very kind."

"Yes, he is. Though I'm sure there's more to it…" Gaius stopped and Aria looked at him expectantly. "Don't worry, just an old man rambling. I'll leave you to get some rest before Gwen comes back, heaven knows you probably need it."

_You have no idea_. "Thank you, Gaius." Turning to walk back over to her bed - well work bench – Aria climbed on top and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. She noticed that the whole room was made from old stone, and that wooden beams stretched across the top of the ceiling. _It's really pretty now that I look at it properly. Like an old house in the countryside almost. It's strange to think we're in a tower of some kind, and in a castle! Speaking of castle, I can't wait to explore Camelot – I might as well have some fun while I'm stuck here after all. I must be careful not to have a huge impact on time, I still don't know what me being here is going to do to the future. _

As loads of thoughts bombarded her head, Aria felt her eyes drooping. Before she had even realised what was happening, she fell into a peaceful slumber.

**A/N – things are starting to pick up now that Aria has arrived in Camelot! Hope you liked the chapter, please leave comments in the Review section, thank you! No flames please :)**


	4. Chapter 4: The Prophecy

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart **and **Guests** (sorry I don't know who you are!) for your reviews! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

**A/N**- An early surprise release for you, only a couple of days after the last chapter! I'll try and update regularly once a week in general ^.^

Please leave **constructive** comments- no flames please.

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 4: The Prophecy**

Merlin spoke softly, "_Tre bærn suñ."_ A red rose began to form, starting off small, but then slowly spinning so that it blossomed and got bigger in the palm of his hand.

"Oh, Merlin, this rose is so pretty, it's so beautiful and red." Aria gushed, smiling warmly at Merlin.

Merlin nodded at her, suddenly looking grim, "Red like blood, blood that will spill because of you. The same blood which will run like a river through Camelot's streets."

Aria took a step back in shock, not expecting that response, "What? But I- I wouldn't cause such a thing! What are you talking about Merlin? Is this a joke?"

He shook his head gravely at her, "You say you don't know why you're here, but we both know you must have an ulterior motive. I've just got to find out what it is. And I will find out. For Arthur's sake, for Camelot's sake. I won't allow you to bring any harm to him – to anyone."

Aria felt her stomach drop at his words, she felt nauseous and was starting to get giddy, "Merlin, I – I really wouldn't. I don't know what you mean, I don't have an ulterior motive, I promise. Please, believe me!"

"No, you're a liar, I won't let you get away with it!" Aria gasped, _this is not Merlin! _

Merlin reached out his hand, _"Aria, you cannot be allowed to live, __Môrten su gen bæy."_

Seeing a bright, orange light rushing to envelop her, Aria gasped in shock again, horror clearly displayed on her face. She tried to run away, but there was nowhere to run, she was backed against a wall. The light hit her, and instead of feeling agonising pain, she felt calm and weightless. Then she felt nothing.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria jumped in shock, sweat sticking to the sides of her face and neck. Shakily, she lifted up her hands and noticed they were sweaty too, and had been gripping at the bed sheets she was lying on. _Bed Sheets… wait, where am I? Home? No… I'm in Camelot._ Looking around her, Aria noticed the room she was in was quite small and medieval looking, but also felt very welcoming._ Yes, it looks like I am still in Camelot._

Aria sighed. _The last thing I remember is lying on the work bench. Oh God, that dream, what was that? Was that a premonition? No…that most definitely was not Merlin. Can Merlin really kill someone like that with his magic? To kill a person… I wonder how easy it would be for him. In these times, I know there are a lot of deaths caused from battles, so I suppose Merlin would be able to kill… but with a spell like that, that was - that was absolutely terrifying. I don't want to ever make that dream a reality. But it won't be a reality, there's no way I can cause something as horrific as that. Unless… I can? But I don't want to! What do I do? _

Feeling herself going into a panic attack, Aria took several deep breaths and closed her eyes. She used her dress _– thank goodness I'm still dressed – _to wipe the remaining sweat off her. _That's better, I feel calmer now, but also kind of disgusting with all this sweat on me. Anyway, I'll wait and see what Merlin says later, he spoke to that dragon so maybe it – sorry, he - has answers. _

Looking up, Aria noticed there was a big, wooden door in front of her. _I'll look through there in a moment. _Swivelling her eyes around to take in the room, she noticed there were several small bookcases in the room, with several potions and physician books lining them, _Ah-hah, so this must still be part of Gaius's chamber. _

Looking down, Aria noticed she was on a single bed, which was made of wood and had quite a hard mattress on it. _Good job I sleep on a futon back home, I love hard mattresses, so at least this wasn't a shock. _Aria stretched, _Ah, I feel like I've had a good night's sleep. Mmmm, speaking of bed, it smells really enticing, like a mixture of freshly mowed grass and spices. I've never smelt anything like that before. It's wonderful… _Aria shook herself and yawned, _I should probably get up and have a look around, before I fall asleep again._

Slowly getting off the bed, Aria tried to make herself look as presentable as possible. Smoothing down the dress, she went to look out of the window. Sure enough, the bustling citizens of Camelot were already in the streets below. Gazing further, Aria noticed the forest again, still enticing her to go and explore. _I will have to go there one day, I can just imagine the smell of the grass and the pine, and I bet it'll be beautiful, without the ruin of today's pollution. Well, the future's pollution. _

Turning around, Aria hesitantly went to open the door. Peeking her head around, she noticed Gaius was already up and looking intently at something in one of his books. _How do I tell him I'm here without startling him? _

Slowly edging forward down the stairs, Aria cleared her throat, "Morning, Gaius."

If Gaius had been shocked by her sudden appearance, he didn't show it. He straightened up and turned to look at her, smiling. "Good morning Aria. I trust you had a good night's sleep?"

"I did, thank you." Aria nodded, "I'm so sorry if you had to carry me in there Gaius, was I in your bed? I'm so sorry if you had to sleep on the floor because of me, you really should have just woken me, I wouldn't have minded. And Gwen- oh Gwen! I was meant to go with her to her house last night. Oh no, I-"

Gaius chuckled, interrupting her, "Don't worry Aria, Gwen came over last night and we did try to wake you, but you were in a deep sleep. So we decided it would be best if we moved you, so that you could sleep here more comfortably."

Aria blushed, "I'm sorry if I was heavy." She shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. _I never did like being picked up._

Gaius chuckled again, "It was quite alright, I didn't carry you. Merlin did."

Aria's eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open, _that's even worse! What if I was ridiculously heavy! _Gaius stood there, smiling at her reaction. He knew it could be bad if Aria and Merlin fell in love, they were after all, from different times. But even though he knew this, he still couldn't help but feel they _should_ be allowed to love one another, if they so desired it. Gaius had not seen Merlin yet, as he had been called by Arthur very early this morning, so Gaius did not know what Kilgharrah had said to him.

Stuttering, Aria responded, "Oh. Well… Um… Did he mind?"

"Oh, I don't believe so."

Aria nodded, "Good. Good, that's good. OK."

Aria looked around and noticed that off to the side of the room was a drawn back curtain, behind which stood another wooden bed. Flicking her head in the direction she just came from, and then back again at where the other bed was, Aria felt a strange sensation rise in her stomach. "Gaius, where I slept last night, was that your bed?"

Gaius tried hard not to smirk at her question, and relied evenly, "Why no Aria, my old back needs to be in the bed it's used to. You slept in Merlin's bed last night."

Confirming Aria's suspicions, she felt the sensation in her stomach explode into full blown excitement. _I shouldn't be this happy from that! But… I can't help it… I was in his bed! Dammit, I should have lain there longer to smell his scent properly, that amazing spice and grass scent must be Merlin's… AH! I can't believe I just thought that!_

Aria found herself blushing yet again, and tried to turn away from Gaius so he didn't see. Though from his amused expression, he probably had seen._ Was it proper for a lady to sleep in a man's bed like that in these times? I'm surprised this was seen as OK! Though I suppose a lot of things seem strange here… _Aria was drawn out of her thoughts by Gaius's voice.

"Before I forget, I have some coins for you, so you can purchase necessities at the market today. Gwen said she will be here shortly, to see if you were awake, so she can take you there."

"Oh, that's very kind of her- doesn't she have other things to do today?" Aria felt bad that she was taking up so much of Gwen's time, she didn't want to inconvenience her.

"She asked if she would be allowed to have the afternoon free, to take you around Camelot and to buy you some necessities."

Aria looked thoughtful, "I see, that's brilliant." Looking up and grinning, she continued, "Let me guess, she asked Arthur?"

Gaius laughed, "Indeed, she did."

Aria giggled, _those two are obviously in love - even I could see it, and I've only been here a day!_ "OH! I just realised what you said! It's afternoon already? How long was I asleep?"

"Quite a while, my dear. You must have been very tired."

"Yes, I was…" Aria trailed off. _I did feel shattered yesterday, that's true. _"By the way, where _is_ Merlin?"

"Arthur called him early this morning, something about another hunting trip. I barely saw him, so I'm not sure what Kilgharrah said to him about your arrival."

_Kilgharrah – that was it, must remember that name. That's a shame, I really wanted to meet him. I've never met a dragon before. I'll ask Merlin if I can go with him to meet him again. Ellie and Maria would freak if they knew._

"Ah, I see. I guess I'll have to wait until later then." Looking around, Aria continued, "Speaking of Merlin, where did he sleep last night, if I was in his bed?"

Gaius gestured towards the hard work bench Aria had been asleep on the day before, "On that bench over there."

Aria felt guilt wash over her, "Oh, he must have been very uncomfortable, I'll have to apologise to him when I see him next."

"I'm sure he didn't mind, he's slept in worst places."

Aria' curiosity peaked, but before she could ask where Merlin had slept that was so bad, Gwen came bustling through the door, "Oh, good morning Aria! I trust you slept well?"

Aria spun around to face her, "Morning, Gwen! I did sleep well thank you, better than I have in ages in fact. I'm so sorry that I fell asleep last night, I feel really bad that you came all the way here to get me and I wasn't even awake."

"That's quite alright, don't worry about that. As long as you are well rested, that is the main thing. Are you ready to explore Camelot?" Gwen smiled at the way Aria's eyes lit up.

"Most definitely! I'm so excited!" Aria clapped her hands together in glee. _Finally, I can explore something other than this room!_

Gaius walked over to Aria and handed her a coin bag, "Here, Aria, take these coins to buy some necessities."

"Thank you so much Gaius. I promise one day I will repay you for your kindness."

"I have no doubt, Aria. Don't worry about that now, go enjoy your afternoon with Gwen."

Nodding, Aria walked over to Gwen and grinned, "I'm ready, shall we go?"

"Yes, lets! I can't wait to show you around Camelot, the market stalls are delightful. See you later Gaius." Both girls waved at Gaius and left his chambers. Gaius chucked to himself and continued reading his book.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin grumbled as he crouched beside Arthur in the mud.

Arthur cocked an eyebrow at him, "If you're any louder Merlin, all the deer will run away."

"Yes… sire." Merlin rolled his eyes, _I hate hunting trips. He woke me up especially early to get me back for vanishing on him yesterday. Prat. I still need to think about what Kilgharrah told me about Aria. As usual, he gave me another riddle, this time coupled up with a prophecy. Apparently the original prophecy which stated I was to stay by Arthur's side and ensure his safety, was not my only duty. Though I am still not completely sure what this new prophecy means. I need to speak to Gaius and Aria about it in more detail. Merlin once again thought about what Kilgharrah had said,_

"_Young Warlock, I am aware of what you are here to ask me, and I am afraid I do not hold all of the answers for you."_

_Merlin sagged, "Nothing, Kilgharrah? Can't you at least tell me if Aria being here will affect the future?"_

_Kilgharrah was silent for a moment, "I am able to share with you a prophecy, Merlin."_

"_A prophecy?" Merlin stared at the great dragon before him, "Another prophecy?"_

_Kilgharrah nodded, "Yes, young warlock. A prophecy which tells of a young woman from the future coming to Camelot."_

_Merlin pondered on this, "That must mean Aria. Could you tell me this prophecy, Kilgharrah?"_

"_First, I must tell you Merlin, that Miss. Aria being here in Camelot at this time, will not change the future, as it already is the future. She was destined to be here, so her actions will only cause changes that were meant to be. She need not worry about her actions affecting the future, as they have already come to pass, and they cannot be changed."_

"_But, the other prophecy about Arthur, I will change that Kilgharrah. I won't let him die!"_

_Kilgharrah nodded slowly, and Merlin knew he wasn't sharing something with him. However, he also knew pushing Kilgharrah for more information would only irritate the dragon, and then he would leave without telling Merlin more about Aria. "Please continue, Kilgharrah – tell me the prophecy."_

_Nodding, Kilgharrah took a deep breath and began,_

"_From future she comes forth,_

_To help Emrys with his duty._

_Needed, to save Arthur from the end,_

_But beware, others seek to find the truth,_

_And cause rivers of blood in Camelot._

_Destiny plays her tune,_

_To join souls bound across time._

_Here is not her place,_

_But at the end, not all is lost,_

_So fear not,_

_As an eternity can be waited for._

_The future will come forth,_

_And magic will be reborn._

_This is the only way -_

_Destiny made a choice,_

_And this is the way it must be_

_For Arthur to bring peace to all the Kingdoms." _

_Once finished, the great dragon looked at Merlin, "That is all I can share with you, Merlin. I wish you well in your quest, and I wish Miss. Aria well also."_

"_Thank you, Kilgharrah. Why didn't you tell me this before?"_

"_It was not the right time, Merlin."_

"_I'm sorry, I don't mean to snap at you Kilgharrah. I'm just confused, what does it mean? Can't you tell me more? Please!"_

"_I'm afraid I cannot young warlock. This you must work out, without my help."_

"_It's almost impossible to work these riddles out. Give me a clue – anything, please!"_

_Pausing, Kilgharrah spoke, "Don't push Miss. Aria away Merlin, she is more important than you realise." With that, the great dragon pushed up from the ground and took to the air, flying far into the distance._

A twig snapped ahead and suddenly Merlin was brought back to the present, where he saw Arthur with a finger at his lips, signalling for him to be quiet. Moving his hands above his head, Arthur signalled the other nights to move forward. He'd evidently heard a deer. Merlin crept forward as well, trying his best not to step on a branch which would give away their location. Looking ahead, he noticed a stag grazing on a nearby bush. Arthur signalled to his knights to get their bow and arrows ready to fire. _Oh no, he'll kill me, but I can't-_

"ACHOO!" The stag bounded off, arrows flung after it, but none hitting their target.

"MERLIN!" _Oops, he's angry. Maybe I could have held that sneeze in… maybe._

"Yes, sire?"

"You know what! Because of your bloody sneezing, we've lost the stag!" Arthur retorted.

"I can't help it if I sneeze."

Arthur threw his hands into the air, "Sometimes Merlin, I wonder if you have a brain."

"I do, sire."

"Hm, well maybe you should use it more."

Merlin just grinned in response. The other knights chuckled at the exchange, obviously used to the banter between the pair.

"Shall we go after it, my Lord?" Sir Leon spoke up, gesturing towards the direction in which the stag ran in.

"Yes. No, wait. I think _Mer_lin here should go after the stag and bring it back for us."

The group of knights chuckled, "If Merlin goes after it, we'll starve!" Sir Gwaine said laughing.

"We'll be waiting here for hours!" Sir Percival added.

Merlin rolled his eyes, _typical, if only they really knew. _"I could easily catch that stag and bring it back for dinner."

"Of _course_ you can Merlin." Arthur started laughing, imagining how Merlin would even attempt to catch a stag. "Maybe if it was a tiny, little bunny rabbit, I think you might stand a chance!"

The knights started laughing and Arthur continued, "No, wait. You're so slow, you wouldn't be able to catch up! I change my mind, if we were looking for a _worm_, you may stand a chance!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll show you all. I'll go get it now." Merlin huffed indignantly.

Wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, Sir Percival spoke up, "It's alright Merlin, I'll come with you and protect you."

This caused more laughter from the knights. Merlin stood there looking bemused. _They have no idea what power I have. Ah, never mind, it's been a while since Arthur laughed this hard, not since Morgana's betrayal became public knowledge. _

"It's alright lads, we should give Merlin a break. After all, his mind is probably on a certain lady friend." Arthur chipped in, raising his eyebrows slightly at Merlin.

Merlin jerked as if he'd been hit. _Arthur! You idiot! _

"Oh, lady friend, eh, Merlin?" Gwaine grinned at him, "Anyone I might know?"

"Um, no, she's from far away. Anyway, about that stag…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa Merlin. Hold up. I think my knights deserve to hear a bit about the fair maiden." He winked at the men surrounding them and the knights all cheered in agreement. Merlin felt himself blush at the mention of her name.

"Ohhh, I see, so Merlin _does _feel something for this mysterious woman!" Gwaine laughed, "Now I must meet her!"

Merlin couldn't help but scowl at Gwaine, causing the other knights to burst out laughing again.

"So Merlin, tell us about her then." Percival piped up.

Merlin sighed, "There's not much to tell, I haven't really had a chance to speak to her properly." He gave a pointed look at Arthur, who grinned and shrugged. "Her name is Aria, she is from a faraway Kingdom called Oxford, she got lost in the woods, I found her, took her to Gaius. The end." Merlin went to turn away, but Arthur grabbed him on the arm.

"And Merlin here seems to have a little crush." Arthur said, evidently trying to wind him up.

"No. No… I- I don't. It's not like that!"

"Yeah, yeah. We believe you Merlin." Gwaine waggled his eyebrows at Merlin, who sighed.

_Even if they drop it now, I know it'll come back later. How can Arthur just assume my feelings for her? I've only just met her! I do feel like I've known her for a long time… but that's impossible! _Merlin thought about her smiling at him and felt a warm sensation in the pit of his stomach. _Maybe if I'm being honest with myself… I do find her rather pretty, and her smile is so sweet, it causes her eyes to light up. I want to see her smile more, I want to make her laugh. I just want to be with her, to get to know her more. But at this rate, I'll barely get to see her. Bloody clotpole. _

Merlin sent a mini glare at Arthur, which thankfully he didn't see. Gwaine however did, and walked over to Merlin grinning, "I saw that- bitter you can't see your lady love?"

"Gwaine! It's not like that, I just, I just get fed up of…" Merlin paused, "carrying his weapons around all the time. Yes, that's it." He gestured in the direction Arthur had walked in.

"Uh- huh. Whatever you say Merlin!" Gwaine waved as he walked over to join Arthur, who had since moved towards the direction the stag had disappeared in, no doubt going to try and shoot at it again. Merlin followed suit, picking up Arthur's bag of hunting weapons. _Today is going to be a long day._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria had followed Gwen through the castle and towards the streets which she had seen through the window of Gaius's chamber. Although Aria longed to also explore the castle, she knew she must get some supplies first, especially as they only items she owned were the clothes she arrived in –and could not wear in this time – and Gwen's dress, which she would need to return at some point. Not that Gwen seemed to mind lending out her dress. Also, Aria remembered tales of King Uther, and even though she was unsure if he really was evil, she didn't want to be bumping into him and making a fool of herself. That could definitely lead to trouble. As such, she allowed Gwen to steer her out of the castle's maze of tunnels, without so much as a complaint.

As she walked down the street, Aria couldn't help but gaze in wonder at the hustle and bustle of the streets. The little shacks on the side of the road were full of items, and she heard people bartering for wares and trading items. It was fascinating and Aria stared at the scene before her, taking in how incredible and utterly unbelievable everything was. Gwen noticed her strange behaviour and gave her a questioning look.

"Is everything alright Aria? You look shocked." Gwen was staring at her intently and Aria shifted on the spot slightly. _I don't want to lie to her, she's been nothing but nice to me, but as Merlin and Gaius said, I best keep my time travelling quiet for now. But what can I say? _

"Erm…"

"Oh, is your Kingdom quite small? If so, I can imagine Camelot to be rather overwhelming."

Relieved that Gwen had provided her with an acceptable answer already, Aria nodded in agreement, "Definitely. Camelot's so magnificent, we don't have shops like this from where I'm from. I can't help but stare. I hope it's not too rude, I'm just enjoying taking everything in!

Gwen nodded in understanding, "I know what you mean, I was like that too when I first arrived here. Camelot is such a great place, and when Arthur is King, it will be even greater." Gwen got a dreamy look in her eye and they gasped slightly at what she had just said, "Not that the current King is bad, not by any means!"

Aria chuckled, "It's alright Gwen, I know what you mean. I too think Arthur will make a great King, and in fact, I believe he will always be remembered."

"That would be nice. Though I suppose it's almost impossible to make a dent in history. I wish I could be well known for something. But sadly I'm just a serving girl, I was not born for greatness." Gwen looked at her sadly.

_You have no idea Gwen. No idea who you will become – Queen Guinevere of Camelot! And that you will always be remembered; you, Arthur, Merlin, you will all become one of the most famous legends in the world. _"I think you could be remembered Gwen. It's not who you were born as that makes you as a person, it's who you strive to be. And I believe you will be someone great, so have faith in yourself."

Gwen looked shocked for a moment, then gave Aria a big smile, "Thank you Aria, that's very kind. But really, I'm not sure what I could do."

"You could marry Arthur?" Gwen's eyes got larger and she quickly looked about her.

"Aria! You mustn't say that, if someone heard…"

"It's OK Gwen. Honestly, no one heard." But Gwen still looked a bit concerned, and had started biting her lip. Aria immediately felt guilty, _I forgot, in these times that could be considered treason or something. Argh, I keep messing things up. _"Gwen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry Aria, it's not your fault." She leant in closer, so that her lips were nearly touching Aria's right ear, "Secretly, I wish for that to happen too." Gwen leant back, now blushing profusely. Aria grinned at her and nodded, as if to say 'your secret is safe with me'. Gwen smiled and nodded in return, and at the moment in time, both knew they would become fast friends.

Gwen latched onto Aria's arm, "Shall we go purchase some dresses for you? And you'll also need some teeth cleaning rags of course."

Turning to look at the girl next to her, Aria exclaimed, "Sorry – did you say teeth cleaning rags?"

Gwen gave her another funny look, "Why yes – is this not what you use at home?"

Aria wracked her memory for what they could use as ancient toothpaste, "Um… well…"

Looking surprised, Gwen answered for Aria again, "Don't tell me Aria, you're from a noble family? Of course, you must be – your skin is so pale, you definitely aren't a working class person. I'm so sorry for assuming! You will need limestone blocks as well then, to polish your teeth."

Aria was desperately trying to take on board what Gwen was saying. _Limestone? What? Noble family?_ "It's quite alright Gwen, I'm not really noble… I mean, yes we do use… limestone blocks, but I don't normally go outside because I enjoy potion making and reading. That's the only reason why my skin is so pale."

"To be able to work inside like that, that's amazing Aria, you're being so modest." Gwen sighed, "I sometimes wish I could read more."

"You definitely should, reading is so enjoyable. I can't wait to get my teeth stuck into Gaius's books."

Frowning, Gwen responded, "Get your teeth stuck in? Whatever do you mean? Aria, you do say such funny things!"

"Heh heh, sorry, it's just a saying where I'm from. I mean I can't wait to read through Gaius's books, they look so interesting."

"If you like reading, you'll love the castle's library and archives."

Pausing, Aria turned towards Gwen. "The castle has a library?"

"Oh yes, a massive one. I believe Merlin got lost in there once."

Aria snorted, "I would have like to have seen that. But wow, a library, I will definitely go and check it out."

Gwen nodded and continued to pull Aria towards a nearby stall.

_It's so strange, I already feel like I've been here for ages, and that I've known Gaius, Merlin and Gwen for a long time. It's so strange, I feel completely at home here. I know I freaked out when I first arrived, hell, I think anyone would! But I just feel… right. Like I'm meant to be here. And if I am in a coma, well, let's just say I'm impressed with the creativity of my mind! I never would have thought I could create something like this, so detailed- all of these people, the castle! But no, I do think that I am really here, in Camelot. As hard as it is to believe. I must try and not influence events and others around me for now, at least not until I speak to Merlin. I can't change the future - that would be terrible._

Snapping Aria out of her thoughts, Gwen stopped in front of a stall lined with dresses, "Right then. Let's get you started off with some new clothes…"

Internally Aria groaned, _I was never a big fan of shopping back at home._

**A/N – Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave comments in the Review section, thank you! No flames please :) Let me know what you think of the prophecy and Aria's dream! **


	5. Chapter 5: A New Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart, ****Female whovian**and **Guests** (sorry I don't know who you are!) for your reviews! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

Please leave **constructive** comments- no flames please.

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 5: A New Beginning**

Aria opened her eyes slowly and blinked, bright sunlight was pouring through the window and onto her face. Looking around, she remembered that she was at Gwen's house, on a makeshift bed in the kitchen. Gwen had kindly offered her own bed for Aria to sleep in, but Aria knew that the house was small and it wouldn't be fair to ask Gwen to move from where she normally sleeps. Thankfully, Arthur had allowed them to take a mattress from the castle, which Aria could sleep on.

Stretching as she sat up, Aria was reminded of her busy day yesterday. She had gone shopping with Gwen and purchased a few things that she would need. She'd had a lot of fun walking around the streets of Camelot, everyone seemed really happy and bartering for wares had been really exciting. Aria always had loved to barter, even if she only managed to reduce something by a few pound, she still felt like she'd made a great achievement. So being able to barter in Camelot had made her feel a lot more comfortable, even though she got a nostalgic blast about her own time.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress, Aria padded over to the bathroom. She remembered how shocked she had been when she had seen it, and how she had tried to hide her surprise from Gwen. _Of course, in these times, their toilet would be a wooden bench over a removable bucket. I'll have to get used to it, as it looks like I could be stuck here for a while._

After going to the toilet, Aria set about trying to clean her teeth with limestone. Gwen had told her that most working class people used sharpened twigs to clean their teeth, but as she worked in the castle and could be seen by other nobles, she was allowed an allowance for limestone to clean her teeth. Aria had been gobsmacked when she had learnt about this, and knew that she'd have to pretend she knew how to use limestone to clean her teeth. Picking up the sharpened stick, she first of all went about cleaning the sides of her teeth. _Oh, this kind of hurts, I hope I'm doing this right… argh, why is this so hard? I'll have to speak to Merlin and Gaius later._

Picking up the limestone, Aria turned it around in her hands. She dunked it in the cup of water by the sink, and lifted it up to gently scratch at her teeth. It felt very weird, and again Aria was unsure if she was doing it right. Sighing, she did the best she could and looked up to admire her work in the mirror. _Not bad, they actually look relatively clean, I suppose years of cleaning my teeth properly will help in this time._

Going back into the kitchen, Aria bumped into Gwen.

"Morning Aria. Did you sleep well?"

"Ah, yes thank you Gwen. It was very comfortable."

Gwen smiled, "I know you're just saying that to make me feel better, but thank you."

Grinning in response, Aria replied, "No, it actually was rather comfy. Anyway, I've just cleaned my teeth, so I shall get dressed and see what Gaius wants me to do today."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll finish getting ready now, and walk with you to the castle."

Aria nodded, "Thanks Gwen that would be wonderful."

Aria got dressed and put on some shoes and waited for Gwen by the door. When Gwen was ready, they went outside with linked arms and started walking towards the castle.

"I do love Camelot in the mornings, there's the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread, and the streets are almost empty so it feels very peaceful. I hope you come to like it here Aria, I'm sure you will though."

"I think I will too Gwen. It seems lovely so far, just a few things I have to get used to." Aria replied smiling warmly at her friend.

_Yeah, just a few things to get used to. More like, everything to get used to. I think I'm doing OK so far though, I mean, I've managed to get up and dressed alright, and yesterday I wasn't even sure I could manage that! At least Gaius and Merlin know I'm from the future_, _so they can help me fit in more. Speaking of Merlin, I haven't seen him since my first day here, I hope I can see him today._

"Well, good morning Gwen, and who might this lovely lady be?"

Aria jumped as someone lifted her right hand and kissed it. Looking in front of her, she saw mischievous eyes staring up at her from above the knuckles on her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine."

Gwen laughed, "Aria, I'd like to introduce you to Sir Gwaine, a knight of Camelot."

The man in front of her straightened up, "Oh, Miss Aria, we meet at last. I've heard so much about you."

Aria, finally able to find her voice, spoke up, "Sir Gwaine, lovely to meet you. Sorry, I was in a world of my own just then. You said you had heard a lot about me…?"

"Ah, yes. From Merlin- I went out hunting with him and the other knights yesterday."

Aria tried to calm herself upon hearing Merlin's name, _He talked about me?_

Gwaine continued, "He told us how you happened to come to Camelot. So as our first official meeting, welcome to Camelot, and if there is anything I can do for you, just let me know." He finished off with a little wink.

Aria found herself smiling at him, _He's such a charmer, but I can't help but like him! He reminds me of Sam back home, he was always like this with everyone too. I think I was his only actual female friend._

"Thank you, Sir Gwaine. That's very kind."

"Just Gwaine is fine." He said, smiling at her.

_Wait a minute, he seems very familiar… where have I seen him before? In the castle yesterday? No… OH! He was the other knight fighting with Arthur in my vision before Camelot! I knew I recognised that cheeky grin!_

"Let me accompany you both to the castle." He turned around and linked his left arm with Aria's right. Aria laughed at his forwardness.

"Thank you, Gwaine, but don't you have patrol duties?" Gwen's eyes were sparkling, as she was obviously winding Gwaine up.

"You wound me, Gwen! I thought you would love having my company." Gwaine put his right hand to his heart, signalling a fatal wound.

The expression on his face made both girls laugh out loud. Gwaine grinned and started to head towards the castle, pulling Gwen and Aria into walking next to him. Aria found herself feeling very comfortable in Gwaine's presence, he was very funny and despite being incredibly flirtatious, she could tell he was very loyal to Camelot and Arthur. Aria was having such a good time, that when they reached the castle, she almost wished they had longer to walk. It was nice to chat and laugh, without thinking and worrying about how she had fallen 1000 years into the past.

Feeling someone's eyes on her, she looked up and noticed Arthur and Merlin would stood on top of one of the front walls of the castle, looking directly at them. Aria had to resist the urge to rip her arm from Gwaine.

_No! I don't want Merlin to get the wrong idea! I'll have to tell him that Gwaine reminds me of Sam from my time, and that I'd only ever see him as a friend. Wait, if I do that, Merlin might wonder why I bothered to explain all of that to him. It's not like we're in a relationship or anything. God, I haven't even spoken to him that much since I arrived. Why am I getting so worked up about it?_

Aria's eyes locked with Merlin's and she smiled at him. He smiled back down at her, then his eyes flicked towards Gwaine, and an expression passed across his features that Aria couldn't place. Gwaine seemed to be completely oblivious to Merlin staring at him, and continued to chat away.

Aria decided it was time to speak up, "Ah, Gwaine, sorry I've got lots to do today. I'm starting as Gaius's apprentice, so I must head in and see him now. Thank you so much for walking us to the castle."

"Yes, thank you Gwaine. I must be off as well." Gwen added.

"Not at all. If you ever need a dashing, handsome young knight to accompany you anywhere, you know where to find me." Giving one last wink, he disappeared into the castle.

Aria and Gwen shared a look and started to laugh.

"He's quite a flirt, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is. But he's very nice and very loyal to Arthur."

Aria nodded, "Definitely, it was nice of him to walk us here. Anyway, I really do have to go and see Gaius, so I'll talk to you later?"

"Of course, have a good day Aria. If you need me, I'll be in the living quarters of the castle." With a wave, Gwen walked through the main door to the castle, leaving Aria on the steps, alone.

Taking one last look above her, Aria noticed Merlin and Arthur had gone.

_I have no idea what to expect, but I hope I am able to help Gaius with his work. If I became a burden, I'd feel terrible. I wonder if he's heard from Merlin about what Kilgharrah said. It seems as though Merlin has already started his work, so I probably won't hear from him today. _

Sighing, and suddenly feeling quite low, she headed towards Gaius's chambers to start her day as an apprentice.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin felt jealousy bubbling up from his stomach as he saw Aria and Gwaine walking arm in arm towards the castle. _Why am I getting so worked up over this? They are just talking! It's just because I need to be protective of her. That's right, Gaius won't be able to, and I'm the only other person who knows she is from another time… I don't even know Aria that well, so why am I getting all worked up over her walking with Gwaine? Arm in arm… laughing… Argh! _

Merlin growled quietly, _I want to be able to walk like that with her. But Arthur woke me up especially early again today, to clean out his stables for the fifth time this week. He's definitely doing this on purpose._

Next to him, Arthur was watching Merlin with an amused look. He had followed Merlin's line of sight and seen Gwaine with Aria and Gwen. Although Arthur too, had felt a slight stab of irritation that Gwaine was with Gwen, he could clearly see that his focus was on the young woman besides him. Arthur could also see how irked Merlin was, and smirked at his servant's reaction.

"Something the matter, Merlin?"

Merlin hadn't even heard him, and continued glaring at the street below.

Arthur hit him on the head, "Merlin!"

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You were ignoring me."

Grumbling, Merlin replied, "What?"

"What, _sire."_

"What, sire?" Merlin ground his teeth together, _He's definitely winding me up on purpose._

"I was wondering what had gotten you all worked up. You look like you're about to clobber someone any minute now."

Merlin shifted slightly, "Nothing, I'm not wound up at all."

Arthur raised his eyebrow, "Sure. And I'm not the prince of Camelot."

Merlin rolled his eyes and continued to stare at Gwaine and Aria. They had now stopped and were talking outside the castle's gates. Merlin saw Aria's eyes flick upwards and stare right at him. Blushing slightly, Merlin shifted his gaze to Gwaine and felt irritation bubble in his stomach again. _Why am I getting so annoyed?_

"Merlin, why can't you just admit you've taken a fancy to her?"

Merlin jumped, "What? Um. No! I've told you it's not like that."

Sighing, Arthur put his hand on Merlin's shoulder, "Come on, Merlin. You know Gwaine is just being himself. You mustn't get so worked up about it. I'm sure Aria will not take any notice of it."

"Is that you trying to comfort me, sire?"

"No. Of course not." Arthur coughed, "Now, come with me, we have work to do."

"You mean _I_ have work to do." Merlin muttered under his breath, but turned to follow Arthur anyway. Luckily Arthur hadn't heard, or was pretending he hadn't heard, and Merlin ran to catch up to him.

Merlin followed Arthur to the knight's quarters, where a few of them were preparing for the day ahead.

"Right men, we have several patrols to follow today." Signalling to about five knights who Merlin did not know that well, Arthur continued, "You lot, patrol the North and East and follow the designated patrol routes. Anything strange that you find, report back to the castle immediately." Turning to Leon, Percival, Lancelot, Elyan and Gwaine, Arthur spoke again, "And you lot will come with me, we'll be patrolling the South and West routes today. The rest of you, remain in Camelot at your usual posts."

All of his knights nodded in agreement. As everyone was putting on their armour and readying their weapons, Gwaine came over to Merlin, "Good morning Merlin, I met Aria today. You're right, she is rather lovely."

Merlin couldn't help but shoot a glare at Gwaine, "Yes, she is."

Gwaine grinned and winked at Percival, "Very pretty, I might ask her to court me. You know, ladies can't resist a man in armour."

Merlin growled in frustration and chose to ignore Gwaine, who had now started to laugh at Merlin's reaction.

Arthur came over and clapped Gwaine on the back, "That's enough, Gwaine. Let's head out."

"Yes, sire." Gwaine nodded, shot one last grin at Merlin and followed Arthur.

Merlin grumbled as he picked up his backpack and followed the knights out.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria knocked hesitantly on the door to Gaius's chambers.

"Come in."

Aria walked in and smiled at Gaius, "Morning Gaius!"

Gaius turned and smiled back at her, "Good morning, Aria. I trust you slept well at Gwen's?"

"I did thank you." Aria replied, "Gaius, were you able to speak to Merlin?"

"Unfortunately not, Aria. He came back late last night and was up early again with Arthur. I think Arthur is worried about when Morgana may strike again… ah, you have not heard about that, have you?"

Aria shook her head, "No, but I do know that Morgana was evil, so I have some background knowledge there I suppose."

Gaius looked thoughtful, "Yes, I suppose its best I fill you in on what's happened." With that, Gaius explained to Aria about Morgana's betrayal and how the King was struggling to recover from it. As such, Arthur was trying to run the Kingdom the best he could alone, but was also struggling with Morgana's betrayal.

"Ah, I see. So Arthur is really worried she will strike and Camelot won't be ready."

"Exactly." Gaius nodded, "With her powerful magic, she is a great threat. Arthur is wise to be cautious."

"Yes, better to be safe than sorry."

Looking a tad confused at her sentence, Aria elaborated, "That's a saying where I'm from – it's better to over prepare than be under prepared and potentially lose everything."

Gaius nodded, "I see."

Aria looked around and noticed a lot of ingredients and vegetables which were piled up in front of Gaius, "What would you like me to do today?"

Gaius put his finger in the air, "Ah, good question. Here in front of me I have some ingredients which can be combined to form a potion to help other recover from stomach sickness. This is one of my most commonly asked for potions, so I would like to show you how to prepare these ingredients, so you can look after this potion in the future."

Aria felt nervous excitement building in her stomach, her previous mood dissipating completely. "That sounds great, let's get started!"

For the next few hours, Aria chopped things to precise measurements, crushed vegetables until they were a pulp and chipped away at frustratingly hard walnuts to get fine shavings from them. Despite the detailed work, Aria loved it.

_It's really fascinating to see how medicines were made in these times. I wonder if they actually work… or whether there is a placebo affect? Maybe I should ask Gaius about that later. _

"Aria, how are you finding Camelot so far?"

Looking up, Aria replied, "It's really amazing Gaius, everyone seems so nice. But, at the same time, I'm treating it more like a holiday, if that makes sense. I mean, it hasn't really sunk in that I could be here, for, well, forever. That's a long time… and I do miss my family and friends. I've only been here a couple of days, so it doesn't feel long-term yet. I hope that I won't get homesick in a week's time." _There I got blubbering again, get a grip Aria!_

Smiling kindly at her, Gaius nodded, "I understand, Aria. It must be an incredibly hard transition for you. One can only imagine what you are going through. You are handling it very well though, I must say."

Aria's eyebrows rose, "Really? In movies the heroine or hero who gets sent back in time always seems to be much cooler than me! I've been having panic attacks and stressing about brushing my teeth- which, by the way, I must check with you – whereas on TV, people always seem to get used to things much more easily."

Gaius was looking at her strangely, and Aria realised she'd said a lot of things which didn't exist yet. Blushing sheepishly, she continued, "Sorry Gaius. For a moment there, I forgot where I was…"

"It's quite alright. But I must ask, what is a 'movies'?"

Aria giggled, "A movie, or film – movies is plural, but essentially a movie is a moving image that you can watch on a screen." Thinking about the best way to phrase it, she continued, "So imagine you were watching Merlin walking through that door, in real life, and he said 'hi Aria' and then walked over to that bench over there. Well, in a movie, you can watch Merlin doing that without him actually doing it live. In fact, Merlin can watch himself doing it! Gosh, it's hard to explain actually…"

By this point, Gaius's eyebrows had shot right up, "Is this, some kind of sorcery?"

Aria laughed, "No, not sorcery. It's called technology. But it won't be around for many more years to come."

Nodding, Gaius smiled, "The future sounds remarkable. It's probably best that you don't impart too much to me – or anyone for that matter – just in case."

Aria slapped a hand to her mouth, _Of course! I'm such an idiot!_

"Don't worry Aria, I asked you after all. I should have known better."

"Sorry Gaius, it was my fault. I must be more careful, or they will think I'm a sorcerer or something."

Gaius nodded grimly, "I think it would be for the best if you only mentioned the future to myself and Merlin, but also be careful of what exactly you impart to us. We don't know yet what Kilgharrah has told Merlin, so we must be sure that what you tell us will not change the future."

"Yes, of course. Sorry again Gaius." Looking at her chopped ingredients, Aria said, "Oh, I've finished my work, what should I do now?"

"Excellent. Let me show you how to combine these to create the potion."

And so, Aria spent another couple of hours watching Gaius create the anti-stomach sickness potions. Time was flying by, and Aria only realised she hadn't eaten when her stomach grumbled loudly.

"Oh! S-Sorry, I forgot that I hadn't eaten."

"Same for me. I think it's best if we break for lunch, don't you?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Aria put the ingredients she was holding down, and went to the wash basin to wash and clean her hands. Meanwhile, Gaius had started a fire beneath a pot in the corner, and was stirring its contents around. _I'm assuming it must be some kind of soup or broth. Oh God, I hope I like it! I haven't really eaten since I've gotten here, everything has just been so hectic that I haven't really noticed. _

Aria set up the dinner table, as per Gaius's instruction and sat down. She poured herself a glass of water from the jug in the middle of the table and watched Gaius bring the soup pot over. He poured some into her bowl and passed her a bread roll. Hungrily, Aria tore into the bread roll and dipped it into the soup. Much to her surprise, it tasted delicious. Licking her lips, Aria continued to devour the bread and soup, until nothing was left.

Gaius chuckled, "You must have been very hungry."

Aria looked embarrassed, "Sorry that must not have been very lady like. I was just so hungry, and it tasted so good! What was in it?"

"I believe it is potato broth- Merlin brought it last night when he got in. I only noticed it this morning when I woke up. He'd left a note to explain."

Aria was shocked, "Wow, he's a good cook."

"Yes, either that or he managed to take it from Cook's kitchen successfully." Gaius said laughing,

"Oh! Right, I see, of course!" Aria laughed.

**BANG!** "Gaius, is Aria with you?"

Aria jumped a mile when the door to Gaius's chambers slammed open. She turned around and noticed Merlin had run into the room, his eyes darting around until they landed on her, and he smiled.

"Hi Merlin."

"Afternoon, Aria."

"Merlin! What is wrong with you? You nearly scared me half to death!"

"Sorry, Gaius. I was just running- , I mean, I just left Arthur as he didn't need me anymore today. I wanted to talk to you both about the prophecy."

Aria looked over at Gaius, who was looking thoughtful. Gaius nodded, "Yes, please share with us what Kilgharrah said, Merlin."

Merlin nodded and began to recite the prophecy. When Aria heard the sentence about rivers of blood flowing through Camelot, her own blood felt like ice in her veins. Her stomach dropped and she started to hear ringing in her ears. Merlin obviously noticed Aria's change in demeanour, and stopped, to ask if she was alright.

"Y-yes, thank you Merlin. Sorry, I suppose I'm a bit squeamish with blood." She swallowed the bile that had pushed its way to the back of her throat. _This can't link in with my dream, it just can't. NO. Merlin wouldn't kill me, he wouldn't… Argh, how would I know? I don't… but… still I feel he wouldn't. _

Aria felt her lips start to tremble and her hands became numb. _No, it can't happen. But the prophecy has repeated what Merlin said to me in my dream, there must be some connection._

"Aria? Aria!"

Jumping, Aria turned to look at Merlin.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Aria bit her bottom lip, _Should I tell them? No? Yes? In movies, they always hold back information and it turns out they should have shared it… therefore I'm going to tell them. Yes, I will._

"I will tell you, but can you tell us the prophecy first, please?"

Nodding, Merlin continued with the prophecy. Afterwards, both Gaius and Aria looked thoughtful. Merlin looked at them both and asked, "What do you think it means?"

"I think it is about me. I mean, it must be, right? Unless another person has come from the future…"

Merlin shook his head, "I think it does mean you. Kilgharrah agreed when I told him of you coming from the future. He said that destiny had brought you here, so your actions would not affect the future and change it from what you know, as you have already affected it."

"I have already affected it?"

Gaius spoke up, "What I think Kilgharrah means Aria, is that you were meant to come to the past, and so, your actions here have already happened in the future. So, by being here and acting out events here, you will not change your future. Because the future you are from, was already affected by your actions."

Aria considered this for a moment, "So, I can act, speak, do what I like here, and it won't change my future? So when I lived in my time, that future had already come about by me being brought back here?"

Merlin and Gaius nodded. Aria put her hand to her head, "Eurgh, I think I get it. The main thing is that I can be myself here, and I don't need to watch what I say to people."

Gaius looked thoughtful for a moment, "I still think it wise we keep your time travel from others. I think that could have potentially disastrous effects."

Nodding, Aria agreed, "I think you're right. Just because I know I was meant to be here, does not mean I should become flippant with what I say. I still don't know what happens to me here after all, or whether I go back to the future." Aria was immediately reminded of the film 'Back to the Future' andhad another pang of nostalgia. _I may never watch another film again._

Merlin looked grim, "Exactly. If you tell people you are from the future, Uther will think you are a sorcerer and have you executed."

"Yes. Merlin is right, Aria. We don't know what happened to you when you came to the past, so let's keep this between us for now."

Merlin looked at Aria, "What was bothering you before, Aria?"

Looking down in her lap, Aria twiddled her fingers. Looking up, she took a breath and explained what happened in her dream. She left out the bit about Merlin killing her, she couldn't do that to him. She knew that he would be really affected by that. Once she had finished speaking, both Merlin and Gaius looked shocked.

"So, the prophecy ties in to your dream." Merlin asked as more of a statement than a question.

"That's what I was afraid of."

Gaius looked at Aria and smiled kindly, "Don't worry, Aria. The prophecy is not definitive about this. It says others seek to find the truth and to be careful. It does not say that this will definitely happen."

Merlin nodded, "Yes, so we just have to ensure that others do not know you are from the future."

Sighing, Aria looked at both of them and nodded, "You're right, I'll just have to be careful. I definitely do _not_ want that dream to come true."

Merlin smiled at her, and then looked at Gaius, "Gaius, what do you think the prophecy means?"

"I am not sure Merlin. I will need to think about it some more. What we can say with certainty, is that it is about Aria and her being here in Camelot. Somehow, she is to help you save Arthur. But the end of the prophecy, I can't be too sure of its meaning."

"That is what I thought too Gaius."

Merlin looked over at Aria and noticed she had looked at her hands again. He was thoughtful for a moment, and then an idea came to him, "Aria, let's not worry about the prophecy now. We have time to see what it means. To get your mind off it, would you like to spend the afternoon with me? I-I mean, not with me, well yes with me, but to show you around the castle and Camelot, of course." By the end of his sentence, a blush had started to creep up Merlin's neck and onto his cheeks.

Aria smiled, turning to Gaius, she asked, "Would I be able to spend the afternoon with Merlin, Gaius?" Aria had also gone pink, and hoped that turning away from Merlin would prevent him from seeing. _That is so sweet, it is obvious he's trying to make me feel better. Dammit, I shouldn't have looked so miserable, I don't want him worrying about me. I'm just mulling over a dream for God's sake, it's not like something terrible has happened. But, at least this means I get to spend the afternoon with him! I hope Gaius says I can- please, please, please._

Sighing, Gaius replied, "Of course Aria. You have been very helpful today and we have produced a lot of the anti-sickness potions. Merlin; do be careful, and try not to give me a heart attack next time you come into my chambers."

Grinning, Merlin nodded, "Sorry Gaius! I was just rushing. Aria, are you ready to go now?"

"I just have to wash up these bowls and I'll be there."

Gaius rested a hand on her arm, "Don't worry about these Aria, I can look after them. You go with Merlin."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go on, go have some fun."

Aria beamed at Gaius and walked over to Merlin. _I'm so excited! I'll forget that stupid prophecy for now. There's no way I could cause something that horrific anyway. I just have to be careful no one knows about me coming from the future._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Um, Merlin…"

"Mmmm?"

"Why are we sneaking out of the castle?"

Aria and Merlin were hidden behind a coat of armour in one of the castle's many walkways, and were waiting for a few knights to pass them by.

"Oh, no reason." Merlin laughed nervously, "It's more fun to leave this way!"

Aria raised her eyebrow at him, "You snuck away from Arthur, didn't you?"

Merlin looked shifty, "Um. No! Yes, maybe… OK I did." He quickly scratched the back of his head, "We've done patrols all morning, and I'm so tired. Morgana won't strike yet, if she comes near Camelot, I will know it. And I can't feel her presence at all."

"Merlin!" Aria scolded, but her voice held only amusement, "What if Morgana sends someone else to do her work?"

"Then they will come to the castle, and I don't intend to take you far away, so we shall be safe. Besides, Arthur probably won't even notice I've gone."

Seeing their opening, Merlin grabbed her hand, and they both dashed out from behind the armour.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"MERLIN!" Arthur stormed around his bedroom.

"My boots need polishing, my stables need cleaning, where are you?!"

"Where are you, Merlin? You're not still moping about are you?" Arthur looked behind a nearby curtain. _He's not their either. Where has that idiot gone now?_

Arthur turned and looked out the window, a movement catching his eye. He watched as Merlin and Aria were running through Camelot's front gates, hand in hand, laughing like crazy.

_Well that answers that question. I suppose I can allow him to take the afternoon off. After all, I'll just make him work ten times as hard tomorrow. _Arthur grinned to himself, _I can't wait to see his face when I tell him that. _

"My Lord, are you alright?!" Arthur jumped, as Leon ran into his bedroom, his sword drawn ready.

Arthur cocked an eyebrow at him, "Is there a fight going on in my bedroom that I've not been told about?"

Leon looked sheepish, "No, more Lord. I heard you shouting and…" He put his sword away and looked down at the floor.

Arthur smiled, _I have such loyal knights. _"Don't worry, Leon. Thank you for coming to check on me. I was just wondering where Merlin had gotten to. I haven't seen him at all since our patrols this morning."

Leon looked up, "Would you like me to find him, my Lord?"

Arthur shook his head, "No, it's fine, Leon. He's probably gathering herbs for Gaius. I don't need him this afternoon." Walking over and patting Leon on the back, Arthur continued, "Come, let's gather the other knights and discuss our strategy for patrols for the rest of this week."

"Yes, my Lord." Giving a small bow, Leon followed Arthur out of the room.

**A/N- Chapter 5 is complete :) Let me know what you think! **


	6. Chapter 6: The Forest

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart **and **Female whovian** for your reviews! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

**A/N- **I'm away for a week now, so my next update will be in ~2 weeks :) Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews section, I really love reading them :)

Please leave **constructive** comments- no flames please.

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 6: The Forest**

Aria couldn't stop laughing as her and Merlin bolted out of Camelot's gates and towards the forest. She knew lots of people were looking at them strangely as they ran past, but she didn't care. _I feel so free! _

They slowly came to a stop when they had passed through the town and out into the open fields.

Aria took a deep breath, "Yes! I love this smell! Mmmm, I feel so happy right now." She gently tugged her hand from Merlin's and started to spin around, before gently dropping herself to lay in the grass.

Merlin laughed and sat next to her, "I take it you like the countryside, Aria?"

Turning to face him, Aria's eyes were sparkling with happiness. _I can't imagine anything better, lying in the grass with Merlin next to me. _

"Yes, I love the countryside. I always used to run through long, grassy fields when I was a girl. Then we moved to a busier town, and I wasn't able to run free like I used to. I really miss exploring the countryside, the forests, the lakes… there was always so much to do. Always an adventure to be had. Well, I suppose I'm on my own, real adventure now."

Aria's eyes fluttered shut as she remembered her childhood. She sighed as she smelt the grass around her. Then the scent of spice added to the mix, and Aria blushed, remembering the scent she smelt when waking up yesterday morning. _Merlin's smell._

Merlin studied Aria's face, and saw how peaceful she looked. He blushed, realising he was staring at her a bit too much and if she opened her eyes, she would catch him.

He turned away and cleared his throat, "What was your home like?"

Aria opened her eyes and turned to smile at Merlin, "It was lovely. When I was a young girl, I would explore the nearby woods close to my home. I used to climb trees all day and build big dens in the bushes." She laughed, "If I knew then that I would be sent to Camelot, I would have been so excited. I think I would have adapted to it really well."

"I think you have adapted well to life here Aria. I can only imagine what it'd be like to be sent so far back in time."

Aria nodded, "It feels quite surreal. I was telling Gaius earlier how I felt like this was a holiday, rather than some place I could end up living for the rest of my life."

"Holiday? What's a holiday?"

"Oh, a holiday is where-" Aria broke off when she saw Merlin laughing.

"Hmph! You were winding me up!"

Merlin grinned at her, "I was only joking. I don't really get holidays at Arthur's manservant, so I just take them like this when I can. You know, worry about the consequences later."

"You won't get into trouble will you?"

"Um. Probably not. Anyway, you were telling me about your home."

"Oh, Ok, as long as you're sure. Where was I… that's right, after we left the countryside and lived in a busier town –called Cheltenham – I didn't get to visit the woods very often. My parents wanted me to play with children and go shopping, and do all those sorts of things. But I was never that fond of shopping and always wanted to go back to the countryside. Then, when I grew up, I moved to Oxford with work, but I still craved that freedom. Actually, the day before I was sent here, I was staring out of my car window thinking about lying in the fields."

Aria smiled, reminiscing about being stuck behind the tractor. _That seemed like so long ago, when really it was only a couple of days ago. Technically it was 1000 years into the future, but let's not worry about that._

"That sounds wonderful. But, what's a car window?"

Aria giggled, "Oooh does that count as a spoiler for the future? Um… probably not… simply put, it's a mode of transportation- like your horse. Except cars are… well, _much_ more efficient."

Merlin nodded, "I see. It makes sense that the human race would progress in that way. Arthur always complains about the time it takes to travel anywhere."

"That's true! We have a lot of different transport types in my time – planes, motorbikes, tractors. I think they can spoil the countryside though, with pollution. Pollution is sort of… um... how to say it, a negative result of using cars and other machines like that."

"Then why do humans use them if they ruin the countryside?"

Aria thought for a moment, "I think we're just lazy."

"I see, that's a shame though. The countryside is so beautiful." Merlin paused, "Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope. Just me." Aria smiled, "What about you?"

"Same as you- only child. I don't think my mother could have put up with more than one of me!"

Aria laughed in response, "Same!"

Merlin grinned at her and turned to look out over the field, "I had a very good friend called William, growing up. I suppose we were like brothers." He picked a few blades of grass and started to play with them.

_He said 'had', maybe I shouldn't push the subject…_

Merlin noticed her pause and could tell she had picked up on his use of the past tense. Turning to her, he continued, "William was killed, a couple of years ago now – when my village was attacked by bandits."

"Merlin, I'm so sorry."

Merlin smiled sadly at her, "It's OK, I have… made peace with it. I mean, it still hurts sometimes, but I know he did not die in vain, as we managed to remove the bandits from the village and save the villagers – including my mother. William, he- he saved my magic from being discovered by Arthur." Merlin noticed Aria's questioning look, "Arthur saw magic come from my general direction, but because William was next to me, when he questioned us about it, William said it was his magic. He did that to save me, even though he didn't believe in the prophecy and the importance of me remaining by Arthur's side, to protect him. He was a good friend."

"He sounds like a good friend."

"Yes, he was." Merlin smiled, reminiscing about the adventures he got up to with William. "Do you have any close friends like that?"

Aria nodded, "Yes, my two best friends; Ellie and Maria. I've known them all my life and I love them both dearly. They are so funny but also very kind. The three of us are very different, in looks and personality, but we all get on so well together. It's quite unusual, but we're there to depend on each other. Actually… they were there when I was brought here, I still remember their worried faces as I was pulled back into Camelot." Aria's brow scrunched up. _Thinking about them is making me a bit teary. They must be so worried about me._

As if reading her mind, Merlin spoke up, "They must be worried about you."

"Yes, though they have each other to work through it. I just wish I could go and explain everything to them. I mean, if I was them, I wouldn't know what to do. I would go into a frenzy, I think."

Aria closed her eyes again, "It is. I wish you could meet my friends and visit my home with me. There's so much I want to show you."

As soon as she said it, Aria regretted it. A huge weight dropped in her stomach and she realised that Merlin would never see her time, it was impossible. _Hell, it's unlikely I'm even going to go back myself. It's not like I'm on holiday or away for a few days and can pop back. I may never go back. Merlin will never see my home. Maria and Ellie will never meet him. My parents will never meet him. Will I even see them all again? Why did I bring that up?_

Merlin saw a pained look cross Aria's face and could assume what she was thinking. To lighten the mood he tried to cheer her up, "There's a lot I want to show you in Camelot too, Aria. Will you let me show you?"

Aria's eyes sprung open and she turned, smiling towards Merlin, her depressing thoughts instantly forgotten, "That sounds like an adventure!"

"Most definitely. Let's go!" Merlin stood up and held his hand out to Aria, who took it smiling. He pulled her up and they started walking hand in hand towards the forest.

Realising he wasn't going to let go, Aria's heart rate started to increase significantly. _He can't hear my heart beating, right? That's a myth isn't it? I can hear it because of the blood pounding around my body, causing it to reverberate in my ears… I think that's right… ack! I hope he can't hear it! Oh crap, are my hands sweaty? I should have wiped them before I accepted his hand. Ah!_

Merlin was watching Aria out of the corner of his eye. He was happy she hadn't pulled her hand away from him, but also felt nervous about it.

Aria bit her lip, _Right, the best way to get my mind off it, is to ask a question! Think Aria, think! _

"What are you going to show me then?" _Original Aria, very original. _

Merlin smiled at her, "Well, since you mentioned you had a certain love for the woods, I thought I'd take you to the forest surrounding Camelot. Where I first found you in fact."

Aria's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Yes, it's a beautiful part of the forest, so I hope you like it."

"I know I will! Let's go quicker!" Aria started to jog, pulling Merlin with her. He laughed and followed her in the direction of the forest.

As they both started to walk through the trees, they slowed down to a walk. Aria gasped at how fresh the forest smelt. _So beautiful, the pine smell is really strong – pollution isn't around yet to mess with the environment. Mmm, it's so lovely. _

"It smells so lovely here, Merlin. In the forests back home, there is a pine smell, but it's dimmed from pollution, Here, it's so fresh and strong – it's amazing."

Merlin smiled at her, "I love the forest too. It makes me feel calm. Well, unless I have a group of bandits chasing me through it!"

Aria laughed, "That's happened?!"

"More times than I'd like to count actually. Normally Arthur says something to encourage them to chase us." Merlin shook his head, "He never listens to me."

Grinning, Aria walked with Merlin a bit further in, where the trees started getting denser.

"Follow me closely, Aria." Merlin had to let go of her hand as they pushed through the branches of the trees.

Aria felt scrapes and cuts tear along her arms, but didn't mind it. She was excited about where he was taking her. _Hopefully my dress won't rip… I'm sure it'll be fine, they are known for sewing in this time, right? So I should be able to borrow some thread and a needle and sort that out. Hopefully… _

After a minute of walking through the tightly packed trees and bushes, Aria stumbled into an open plain.

Blinking, she looked at Merlin, "I didn't expect an open space so suddenly after all those trees and bushes."

"Nobody does, which is why it's perfect for this-"

Merlin took a deep breath and started shouting in an incredibly deep voice, something unintelligible that made Aria jump in shock. Once he had finished shouting, he grinned at her reaction and pointed up towards the sky.

Following his finger, Aria gasped, _what is that coming towards us? It that a- NO! NO WAY! That is amazing! Ah! It's not stopping! _Aria jumped behind Merlin and gave a little squeal. _I feel really pathetic right now, but, but, ah!_

Merlin laughed, and she felt it rumble through his back. _His back is so masculine, you can't really see it from under his top and jacket… focus Aria! There's a bloody dragon about to land on you!_

**BOOM! **

The ground shook as the dragon landed on the forest floor. Aria peeked out from behind Merlin's back and came face to face with him. _A dragon, a flipping DRAGON. Is it, is it… smiling at me?! Don't be stupid Aria, how can a dragon smile? Wait, how the hell would I know?! I didn't think they existed!_

"Hello young warlock. I was wondering why you had called me so early in the day. I see it is to introduce me to Miss. Aria."

Aria slowly emerged from behind Merlin, and automatically grabbed his hand for reassurance. "Um. Hello… Kilgharrah?" It sounded more like a question, because Aria wasn't completely sure if she remembered his name correctly.

The dragon chucked, "Thank you for remembering my name, Aria. It is a nice to meet you."

Aria suddenly felt herself relax, and with a small squeeze of reassurance from Merlin, she replied, "Nice to meet you too, Kilgharrah."

Merlin turned to Kilgharrah, "I thought it would be nice to introduce the both of you." He paused for a moment, "I've told her about the prophecy."

Kilgharrah nodded, "I thought you might, young warlock. And Miss. Aria, have you also been told that your presence here has already been pre-destined? So your actions here will not impact negatively on your future?"

"Yes, sir. Merlin filled me in on that."

Merlin snorted and Kilgharrah gave another chuckle.

"Did I say something wrong?" Aria asked, confused.

Merlin grinned at her, whilst Kilgharrah replied, "Thank you for calling me sir, Aria. Merlin would do well to learn some manners from you."

Aria beamed, and Merlin shot a glare at the dragon, but then quickly laughed. He knew Kilgharrah was teasing him.

"Kilgharrah, do you think my being here would cause a river of blood to run through Camelot? Sorry, that's if it's OK for me to ask you?" Aria bit her lip.

_Truthfully, my dream has still been bothering me, and the worry has only intensified since I heard the prophecy. I can't be the cause that horrible outcome for the people of Camelot. Everyone seems so nice so far, I must repay them with kindness, not evil, even if it is unintentional. _

Kilgharrah looked thoughtful for a moment, "My child, I'm afraid I do not know any more than what the prophecy states. Though I would suggest you do not dwell on such things, as nothing good can come from dwelling on the negatives."

"That sounds like something my mother would say to me." Aria replied, smiling at the memory of her mother telling her something very similar in the past, when she was a young girl.

"She sounds like a wise woman."

Aria smiled, "Yes, she is. Or will be. Thank you, Kilgharrah."

Merlin spoke up, "Sorry if we bothered you, Kilgharrah, and thank you again."

"It was no problem young warlock. It's always nice to see you. If you need me again, you know where to find me. I will always come to your call." With that, the dragon pushed off from the ground and rose in to the sky. Aria felt the wind rushing into her face from the power his wings made.

Merlin turned towards Aria, "How was it like meeting your first dragon?"

Aria looked into Merlin's eyes, "It was rather exciting, I suppose." She teased, "I was relatively impressed." Looking at the shock that passed across Merlin's face, Aria burst out laughing.

"Silly- it was fantastic! I can't believe I just met a real dragon, albeit for a few minutes, but still! A real dragon! I can't believe this!" _I can't believe I'm squealing! But it's so amazing! Maria and Ellie will definitely not believe me when I tell them I met a dragon. Hell, I doubt they'd believe I came to Camelot either, but let's not worry about that._

Merlin interrupted her thoughts, "Are you alright, Aria? I didn't realise you were still worried about the prophecy and your dream."

Aria looked thoughtful, "I suppose it has been playing on my mind. I've never had a prophecy written about me before- that's the sort of thing that happens in novels and books, not in real life. I just don't want to be the reason people get hurt." Looking glum, Aria dropped her eyes to the floor and started at the leaves which had collected at her feet.

"Don't worry, Aria. I won't let that prophecy come to pass, we will work through this together, alright?"

"Thank you Merlin." Aria smiled at him and suddenly felt reassured.

"Let's head back before it gets too late." With that, Merlin took her hand again and they started walking back through the forest towards the castle.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Gwen hummed a quiet tune as she walked towards Gaius's chambers. Knocking on his door and slowly pushing it open, she noticed he was alone inside.

"Hello, Gaius."

"Good afternoon, Gwen. I trust you are well?"

"Yes, thank you Gaius. And you?"

Gaius smiled warmly at her, "I'm well thank you- as well as I can be at this old age, at least!"

Gwen chuckled, "Gaius, how is Aria settling in? I know she's only been here a couple of days, but I worry she may struggle living at my house."

A look of surprise crossed Gaius's face, "Is she causing trouble for you Gwen?"

Gwen gasped, "Oh, no! Not at all! I just get the feeling she's from a more… wealthy family, as she seemed so shocked to use my toilet and clean her teeth with limestone - even though, we're very fortunate to be able to use that as it is! I just worry she may be uncomfortable with my limited accommodation." Gwen fiddled with her hands, worried that Gaius would mistake her worry for resentment at having Aria as a guest.

Gaius smiled in understanding, "Ah, I see my dear. Don't worry, Aria truly loves staying with you, and yes, she is from a wealthy family, but she will become accustomed eventually. She remarked to me this morning in fact, how lovely she thought your home was."

Gwen perked up at this, "Really?"

"Yes, truly. You do not need to worry about her thoughts on you or your home, Gwen. Aria will not mind it."

"Thank you Gaius, that has made me feel a lot better. I did not want her to feel uncomfortable staying with me." She looked up at him and smiled, "She's so sweet, and funny too! Last night she was telling me about this time when she accidentally ate too much and fell off her chair! The way she told it was so funny, I couldn't stop laughing!" Gwen laughed again at the memory.

Gaius smiled, "I can see you both becoming fast friends."

Nodding enthusiastically, Gwen agreed, "Yes, I do too. Thank you, Gaius. I'm sorry for disturbing you, I'll leave you to your work."

"It's never a disturbance Gwen. Feel free to pop in and see me whenever you like."

"Thank you, Gaius. I will." Gwen nodded and turned around and walked out of the room.

Gaius chuckled to himself and continued reading from his potions book.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Is he _still_ not back?" Arthur was stomping across the courtyard, Sir Leon and Sir Gwaine following him in his wake. _He can't have been gone the entire time, surely? It's been over an hour!_

"It appears he is not yet back, my Lord." Leon replied.

"I'll wager he's still enjoying Aria's presence." Gwaine chipped in, waggling his eyebrows at the Prince.

Arthur growled, "He'll be enjoying the presence of my horses for an entire month if he's not back soon!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Merlin and Aria walked into the courtyard, talking and laughing. Arthur noticed with amusement that her arm was linked through his, and Merlin looked so red that he might explode any moment. _He looks rather cosy, I think it's time to mess things up a little. Yes, that sounds fun,_

Merlin must have felt someone staring at him, because his head whipped around and he looked Arthur directly into his eyes. Looking sheepish, Merlin gave him a little wave. Arthur raised his right eyebrow in response.

"And just where have you been, Merlin?"

Stopping dead in front of Arthur, Merlin scratched the back of his head with his free arm. "Well, you see, I thought it would be good to show Aria around. You know, around Camelot and show her how great it is."

Aria nodded next to Merlin, "Yes, sire. Merlin was a great guide."

"I'm sure he was." Gwaine said, grinning at Merlin and giving him a quick wink. Merlin saw, and blushed an even darker shade of red.

Arthur smirked at Merlin, "No matter, your disappearance has given me time to think of an appropriate punishment."

Merlin paled at the comment and stuttered, "S-sire..?"

Grinning somewhat evilly, Arthur began, "You'll start at the crack of dawn tomorrow, and I must say I've outdone myself this time – you know, with the amount of work I have assigned for you."

Merlin groaned, and Arthur continued, "Yes, I know just what I'll make you do." He then started to count off items on his fingers, as if he was running through an incredibly long list in his head.

Leon and Gwaine were grinning from behind Arthur, and Merlin scowled in response. Aria looked quite shocked, as she definitely didn't want to be the cause of Merlin's elongated working day.

Just as she was about to intervene, Arthur spoke first, "No need to look so shocked Merlin!"

"Sorry, sire." Merlin mumbled. _Got him, so easy. _

Arthur laughed and clapped Merlin on the shoulder, "You're so easy to wind up, Merlin! So easy! I'll let it slide just this once, as Aria would have benefitted from being shown around Camelot."

Merlin flicked his eyes up in surprise at Arthur, confusion written on his face. "Really?"

"Yes, really Merlin. Now go enjoy your afternoon before I change my mind."

"Thank you, Arthur!" Merlin called, pulling Aria past as quickly as lightning.

Arthur sighed and shook his head. _I've gotten soft over the years. Definitely soft._

Gwaine spoke up from behind him, "That was generous of you."

Huffing, Arthur turned to Gwaine and replied, "I'm always generous, Gwaine. Anyone else would have fired him a long time ago." And with that, he carried on walking towards his stables. _A good evening patrol is what I need right now._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

As they were heading towards Gaius's chamber, Merlin suddenly stopped and turned to face Aria.

"Aria, do you like books?"

Aria smiled, "I love them! I love sinking into the sofa and reading a good novel."

Merlin looked confused for a moment. _A 'sofa' must be a future object, maybe some sort of chair or bed? Anyway…_

"Ah, good. Then I must take you to the castle library."

Aria perked up again, "Oh! Gwen told me about that, she also told me you got lost in there once." Aria's expression shifted and she tried desperately to hold back the laughter which was threatening to burst free.

"Argh, I didn't really. I was chasing a robber and… the chase went on for a while." Merlin scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit foolish. _She's awfully cute._

Aria laughed, "Yeah, yeah. I'll believe you, many wouldn't."

Merlin laughed in response, _her laugh makes you want to laugh along with her. _

"Follow me then." Merlin turned in the opposite direction and led her up a flight of stairs. "The library is really large, and is split on several floors. But the main floor, on the first floor of the castle, holds the vast majority of books."

Aria tingled with excitement.

Merlin turned to face her when they were outside of the library. _I can't wait to see her reaction when I show her this._

Pushing open the doors to the library, Aria gasped in shock. The room was cavernous and full of rows and rows of books – thick ones, thin ones, old ones, new ones. She walked in slowly, her eyes darting all over the place, desperately trying to take everything in.

"This is _unbelievable!_" she exclaimed.

Merlin chuckled at her reaction. _That was definitely not a let-down!_

"I assume you are impressed, Milady?"

Aria giggled, "Yes, sir. I am indeed impressed."

Merlin grinned at her and felt his heart jump into his throat. _She is so beautiful, and her smile… her smile lights up the room. _

Without consciously thinking about it, her reached up and tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, his fingers gently grazing the right side of her face. He felt an electric jolt pass from her skin to his, and a feeling he had never experienced before, bubbled up in his stomach. Realising what he had done, he jerked his hand away.

"I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" _How could I let myself lose control like that? I touched her face without her consent! _

"Merlin, don't worry! It's fine, honest." Aria was blushing deeply, and was glad that the library had poor lighting, as she was worried Merlin would see.

Merlin cleared his throat, "Yes, so, um. This is the library. There are a lot of different books here- over the left are those which are focused on medicine and over to the right…" _Why am I blabbing on about books! I'm such an idiot, I should say something else. Maybe explain why I was so forward… but I don't want to scare her off. Maybe I should just continue to breeze over the entire situation…_

"… and over here are the books about monsters and beasts." He gestured to a nearby wall of books. "To be honest, only Gaius and I look through these, as the King feels these are too related to magic. But he won't destroy them, as they are useful in working out how to defeat any beasts that might come to Camelot to do harm. And, even those who mean no harm…" He added thoughtfully. _Like Freya. No, it won't do well to dwell on the past._

Aria nodded, her eyes still glancing in every direction, taking in the vast amount of books in the library.

"That's very interesting. I don't think we really have beasts in my time- well I'm thinking some of your monsters must be real animals, which in the future, have been given an appropriate name and have been classified. That reminds me, is there a librarian?"

"A librarian?" Merlin questioned.

"Ah, yes, someone who looks after the books?"

"Yes, Lord Geoffrey – of Monmouth – looks after the books and royal records for us. He's normally sat at that desk in the centre, but I'm not sure where he is right now."

Aria beamed, "So I can speak to him if I'd like to read through these books?"

Chuckling, Merlin replied, "I suppose so. But he's quite funny about allowing people into the library. But I'm sure you can convince him."

"Whatever do you mean!" Aria laughed, batting her eyelashes and pretending to do a coy curtsey.

Merlin laughed in response. _She's so witty and is not afraid to act herself around me. It's refreshing to meet someone like her. Someone so beautiful, kind and funny. That's right, there's no way she could have feelings for someone like me. She said I was to become the most revered sorcerer to have lived, but right now, I'm just a servant. And not a particularly good one at that… _

Merlin sighed at that thought, _Why do I always have to think depressing thoughts when I'm having fun?_

Looking outside the nearest window, Merlin exclaimed, "Oh, Aria. We must get to Gaius's now, Gwen will be there to pick you up."

"Of course! I think I'm going to find it really difficult to keep time here without a watch." Aria grumbled.

Merlin smiled at her, "Don't worry, you'll get used to reading where the sun is in the sky and working out the time. I will help you."

"Thank you, Merlin. Oh that reminds me, how do you clean your teeth with limestone?!"

Laughing at her question, Merlin began to explain how one would clean their teeth with limestone. Together, they walked out of the library and towards Gaius's chambers.

Neither of them noticed a figure standing behind a nearby bookcase, evidently having heard their entire conversation.

**A/N- Let me know what you think of this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it :) Please review and no flames please! Thank you :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Worries

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart **for your review! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

**A/N- **I'm hoping for some more reviews for this chapter :) Please leave one, even if it's just a few words! I really appreciate it and it's a great feeling to receive them! Thank you ^.^

Please leave **constructive** comments- no flames please.

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 7: Worries **

Before Aria knew it, a fortnight had already passed. She had spent every day helping Gaius gather ingredients, prepare and utilise them in a variety of different potions and medicines. Despite her lack of ability in chemistry classes back at school, Aria found she had a natural talent for making potions. The way the ingredients combined together seemed to make sense to her. Far more sense than why iron was known as 'Fe' in the periodic table. It was also exhilarating to see her potions actually help people first hand.

After four days in Camelot, Aria had witnessed the results of an attack on one of Arthur's patrols. Several of his knights had been wounded, one fatally, and Aria had to work diligently with Gaius and Merlin to rescue those who remained alive. At first, she had felt queasy at the sight of so much blood, but eventually, she had managed to suppress that feeling and get to work healing the knights. After all, if she were to remain as Gaius's apprentice, she would need to work hard to ensure she became an effective physician. And if that was one thing Aria Phillips didn't do, was slack off when completing a task - especially one as important as healing the sick and injured.

She was able to see why Ellie had become a doctor. The work was hard and the hours tiring, but the feeling of saving a life was unlike any other feeling she had felt before. The exhalation at saving a knight – who, she found out much to her delight, was called George, like her cat – was amazing and she felt like she had really done some good in the world. However, the opposite was also true, when she was unable to save another knight called Sir Martyn. Aria felt like her whole world was crashing down around her and she felt useless because she was unable to help him. Merlin and Gaius reassured her and explained that these things happen, especially with their limited supplies, but Aria still felt, well, guilty about it. She knew that in her time, Sir Martyn would have likely been saved.

Despite the ups and downs she had experienced, Aria still really enjoyed working and living in Camelot. She had gotten used to the quirks of the time, such as using the toilet, cleaning her teeth, and more importantly, how to handle 'that time of the month'. She felt like she was adapting very well to life in Camelot.

Aria hadn't seen much of Merlin since their escapades in the forest. She thought back to the last time they had spoken, three days prior.

"_Merlin! There you are! I've been looking all over for you, where have you been?" _

_Merlin stopped running in the direction he had been heading and turned to face her, "I'm so sorry, Aria. I've been running around doing chores for Arthur all week." He sighed, "He's been a nightmare. I think it's because things have been quiet and we haven't heard anything about Morgana, so he's worried. We all are, really. Like the calm before the storm."_

_Aria nodded, "Oh, Morgana. Yes, I remember reading about her. She betrayed Camelot."_

_Merlin looked shocked for a moment, "Really? Of course, I suppose it makes sense that you would know her, considering you knew Arthur and myself."_

"_Yes - I wish I had arrived earlier, maybe then I could have given more warning…" Aria looked thoughtful._

"_It's OK Aria. I knew a bit earlier than the rest, but I didn't want to believe it." Merlin smiled at her. "Anyway, I must be off, but shall we talk again later tonight?"_

"_Sounds good. Speak to you then, Merlin." _

As it happened, Aria didn't speak to Merlin again that night and had rarely seen him since then. She sighed, _has he been avoiding me for some reason? I can understand that Arthur has kept him busy, but he could have popped to see me at some point, surely? I really wanted to discuss the prophecy again. I haven't had any weird dreams, but I'm still worried that one will crop up when I least expect it…_

Gaius popped up next to Aria, "Aria, are you alright? You're grating that carrot so hard, I fear you will be on your own fingers next." 

Aria jumped and turned to face Gaius, blushing sheepishly. "Sorry, Gaius. I just… I had other things on my mind."

Gaius raised his eyebrow at her, "Would you like to take a break? You have been working very hard, and also one sometimes needs a rest in order to perform effectively."

Nodding and feeling quite embarrassed that her obvious stress and fatigue had been noticed, Aria agreed, "I'm sorry, I think you're right. I'll take a break if that's OK?"

"Of course, Aria. If you need to talk to me – about anything – just let me know. I'm old, but I still listen well and will be here if you need me."

Beaming, Aria replied, "Thank you Gaius, I will do I promise. I think being here for so long, with no hint at what I'm meant to be doing is taking its toll on me. I might go for a stroll outside."

Gaius nodded at her and waved her off. Aria smiled at him and turned around and slowly exited the physician's quarters.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin sighed as he watched Arthur pacing back and forth in his chambers.

"What could she be up to, Merlin? It's been too quiet, I don't like it."

"I don't either, sire. It's strange for Morgana to be so quiet after everything that's happened. I mean, it's been months."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully and continued pacing.

_He's so worried that Morgana will make a surprise attack. I don't blame him, but I don't think pacing around will do much good. Uther is really struggling to cope with Morgana's betrayal, this is obviously having a large effect on Arthur. Hmm… maybe I should suggest something to take his mind off things?_

"Would you like to go hunting, sire? I could go and prepare your horse and things now." Merlin signalled to the door and raised his eyebrow at Arthur questioningly.

Arthur abruptly stopped pacing and gave Merlin a bemused look, "Hunting, you? Are you feeling alright Merlin? You didn't fall asleep outside after a night in the tavern and catch a fever again, did you?"

"I didn't…" Merlin sighed and rubbed his forehead, "No, sire. I just thought it might cheer you up."

Arthur smiled at his manservant, "I think you're getting soft, Merlin. I think I'll be alright though, I need to make plans in case Morgana attacks. You know, since father…" He petered off and started pacing again.

Merlin shook his head sadly, _how do I get him out of this cycle? What can I do?_ Merlin looked around for inspiration, but found nothing but cold walls and a stone floor.

"Sire… Arthur. Let's get some fresh air outside. If not hunting, why don't we go on a patrol? I think that would help. You know, to clear your head."

Arthur raised his eyebrow at Merlin, "Are you implying I have a clogged up head?"

Merlin smirked, "Well you are a dollop head…"

Arthur grabbed a nearby pillow from the chair next to him and hurled it at Merlin's head, "I should put you back in the stocks for that! It might clear _your_ head!"

Merlin laughed and dodged the pillow, "Yes maybe that would help sire. It'd give me a break after all."

Arthur chucked another pillow at him, this time successfully hitting him in the head, "What am I going to do with you?"

"Give me a break?" Merlin replied, hopefully.

"Shut up Merlin." Arthur paused for a moment, "You're right though. Let's go on a patrol." With that, Arthur grabbed his waistcoat jacket from the table next to him and stalked out of his chambers, Merlin following close behind.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria wandered through the halls of Camelot, marvelling still about how large and grand it was. _I don't think I'll ever find my way around this castle properly. I'm forever getting lost. Now where was the library again…?_

Walking around yet another bend, Aria stopped in front of a familiar looking wooden door. Gently, she pushed it open and peered inside. She noticed the familiar entrance of the library and gave a little fits pump, followed by a _yes!_

Walking in slowly, Aria couldn't help but exclaim at the rows and rows of books that lined the walls in front of her. As she walked in further, she noticed someone sat at a desk in the middle of what seemed like, an utter book chaos. As she approached, the man looked up at her and pushed his reading glasses off his nose, so that they hung on a chain around his neck.

Clearing his throat slightly, he spoke, "May I help you…?"

"It's Aria… sir. Um… yes please, Gaius told me that I would be able to find some books here, to help research some ingredients and potions for him." It was a small white lie, but Aria was dying to get her hands on the ancient books, and she was sure Gaius wouldn't mind.

"Oh yes, Gaius did mention he had taken on another apprentice. I suppose it would be alright. As long as you're not like Merlin, who comes in here, causes disruption, leaving me to clear up after him." He raised an inquisitive brow at her.

Aria laughed gently, but stopped quickly when she realised the man in front of her wasn't joining in.

Coughing slightly she replied, "Of course not Sir. I have the utmost respect for books." Her eyes started to shine, "I can't wait to work my way through the books here, and I'm just so fascinated by acquiring knowledge. It's like, if you have a question you need to know the answer to, you can be assured it's in a book somewhere. And then you start reading about one thing, and this leads onto another thing you can research, and then you end up with a wealth of available information to peruse. I wonder what mysteries and information lie in the pages in this very room."

Aria blushed, realising she had gotten a bit carried away. _He's looking at me strange, is it weird for someone to show so much interest in books? Wait, could it be because I'm a woman?_

The man considered her curiously for a while before speaking, "Yes, that will do. I have heard from Gaius that you enjoy acquiring knowledge. He speaks very highly of you and your work with him these past few weeks. It's very unusual for a woman to be so interested in reading… but I do not consider it a bad thing. My name is Geoffrey. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss. Aria."

Aria beamed at the man before her, "Thank you very much Geoffrey. I promise to look after the books and respect the library. Would I be able to view some books now?"

"Of course" Geoffrey nodded at her, "You can take up to two books with you when you leave, but you will need to sign them out here at my desk. You can only take out more books when you return those which you have already borrowed."

Aria smiled, _this is definitely where modern day libraries came from._

"Thank you. I'll go now and see what I'd like to borrow first.

Aria bounded off and started to explore, whilst Geoffrey chuckled under his breath and shook his head in amusement.

_I think I'll start with the left side of the library and work my way around. Eeee, I can't wait! Though, that would imply that I'll be staying in Camelot for a while… no. Don't think of these things. Let's just enjoy the moment._

Aria found herself migrating to the far end of the library and began to flick her eyes across the books in front of her. _There are so many strange books here! Let's see… 'Wildebeasts and Their Counterparts', 'Draining the Episcum', 'Flying Chimeras and their Attacks'. Wow, I don't even know what half of these mean… Also, didn't Merlin say the other night that magic related books had been removed? I suppose these count as how to eradicate magical beings and conditions, so they have likely been allowed to stay. That's so sad. _

After an hour or so of picking up different books and reading passages from them, Aria finally decided on 'Potions to cure Ailments resulting from diseased water' and 'How to treat an infected wound'. Although these were not books Aria would usually pick up and read as a first choice, she knew that Gaius had been dealing with a water contamination outbreak in the southern part of Camelot's walled city. Also, Sir Martyn had died as a result of his wound becoming infected, and Aria decided that whenever possible, she wanted to prevent this from happening to anyone else. She knew Gaius could create these potions with his eyes shut, but there was only so much one man could do, and she wanted to ensure she was being useful.

Satisfied with her two choices, and sure that Gaius would be pleased, she wrote them in Geoffrey's register, smiled and waved at him, and skipped out of the library.

Blinking from the sudden light outside the library, Aria wandered around the castle a bit more, trying to find a landmark she recognised to help her get back to Gaius's chambers. Mumbling to herself, Aria turned around and nearly walked straight into Gwen.

"Oh, Gwen, I'm so glad to see you! You don't happen to know where I could find Gaius's chambers, do you?"

Gwen laughed, "Nice to bump into you too, Aria. You still don't remember where Gaius's chambers are?"

Aria shook her head and Gwen laughed again.

"I would take you there myself, but the King has asked me to fetch him some more water. If you head down that corridor, it'll just be on your left. You're actually very close."

Grinning, Aria replied, "Thanks Gwen! You're a lifesaver." With that, Aria waved at Gwen, and clutching the two heavy tomes to her chest, began jogging in the direction Gwen pointed in.

Gwen chuckled at Aria's enthusiasm and continued walking towards the kitchens in search of a jug of water.

Meanwhile, Aria had recognised a nearby tapestry on the wall and had successfully located Gaius's chambers. Propping the books in one hand, she used the other to open the door. Smiling at Gaius as she entered, Aria put the books down on a nearby work bench.

Gaius turned from what he was doing and smiled at Aria, "Hello again Aria. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes thank you, Gaius. I went to the library to clear my head. It was amazing, there were so many books – I could have been in there all day! But I knew it probably wouldn't do me any good to stay cooped up all day."

"Yes, the library is quite amazing. I think you're right, maybe some fresh air would do you good?"

Aria considered it for a while, "That's actually not a bad idea, I think that would really help."

Gaius smiled at her, "Before you head out again, I am interested to know what books you chose?"

Aria beamed and handed him her books, "I thought these would be good to begin with – you know, with the outbreak we had last week, I thought this would be useful for me to learn. Also after what happened with Sir Martyn…" she stopped talking, remembering again how helpless she had felt when she knew she couldn't heal him.

Gaius walked over to her and patted her back affectionately, "Don't worry, Aria. Without your help, Sir George may also not have made it through – and many of the other knights. I know it is hard, but you did the best you could and for that, you saved a man's life. There will be times when others cannot be saved, but we strive to do the best we can. I think it's very wise that you chose these books, and also shows you to be very kind. Others would not seek to do what you have done, especially after the experiences you have had."

Aria blinked, surprised at the praise she was receiving from Gaius. He was a kind man and often praised her work, but for some reason, at this moment, she felt really touched.

"Th- thank you, Gaius. That really means a lot to me. I hope I can continue being of use to you. I will continue to read up and learn about the ailments of this time."

Gaius smiled at her, "That is very kind, my dear. Do be careful you do not tire yourself out though, Aria. You must also remember to search for a way home as well."

Aria looked down at her hands, suddenly becoming sombre, "Yes, I know I must search for a way home. But, according to the prophecy, I must somehow help Arthur, right? I haven't done anything yet, in fact, I've barely seen him or Merlin, so I'm not sure how I could help."

"Maybe now is not the time for you to help Arthur. But I do believe that you have been sent here for a reason and that you will be of great aid to Camelot in the future."

Aria sighed, "But I don't see how someone like me could possibly be of any help- especially when I have to save a prince!"

Giving her an encouraging smile, Gaius shook his head, "Don't put yourself down my child. You will be a source of great strength for Merlin and Arthur – that, I am sure of. And, after all, Merlin on the outside appears just a serving boy, but we both know he is a lot more than that. Sometimes, we are not what we appear on the outside." He paused, "This goes for good and evil. Just look at Morgana, such a lovely child, so kind and caring, then turning to evil… If only I had…"

Looking up at Gaius, Aria could see that he was quite upset, so she gently laid her hand on his and gave it a little squeeze. "There was nothing you could have done, Gaius. In my time, I read many variations of Morgana's rise to evil, and in each one, it was inevitable. You must not blame yourself or feel guilty. No matter what you had done, she was bound to turn to dark magic. It was Uther and his secrets and attitude towards magic that caused her to change. Not you. So please, you mustn't worry."

Gaius smiled at the young girl before him, "Thank you, Aria. I do feel a lot better. I think sometimes one forgets all of the circumstances surrounding a situation. I should have been there for her more, perhaps told her of her magic, but after everything she had seen, I too believe there was nothing that could be done."

Aria nodded in agreement. "I understand what you are feeling. When I think about the people I left back home, I think of all the things I should have said to them… What if I never see them again? What if I can't return home?"

She didn't know if seeing Gaius upset had caused her emotions to stir up inside of her, but Aria began to feel everything building up inside her. Her eyes welled up with tears and she chocked back a sob.

Gaius moved a stool to the side of her and sat down. "Why don't you talk to me about everything, Aria? You haven't mentioned much since you arrived and I fear that you are bottling everything up. I think if you get what's bothering you off your chest, it would help immensely."

Swallowing down yet another sob, Aria nodded in agreement. She wrung her hands in her lap. _I don't even know where to begin… Maybe getting things off my chest would help. I think having Merlin there was helping me, but since I've not seen him for so long, it… hurts. I don't know why. I feel so content around him that I think it's helped me to settle in here. I'm not sure why, argh I don't know anything anymore._

Gaius waited patiently whilst various emotions were flickering across Aria's face. After a few minutes, Aria looked up and stared straight in front of her. She gave a small sigh and nodded to herself.

"I suppose it still hasn't sunk in properly. That I'm in Camelot, I mean. It's been around two weeks and I'm starting to realise that I'm actually stuck here, with no idea how I came here, no idea why I came here, and definitely no idea how on earth I'm going to get home. At first I think I felt like it was more of a holiday, and now I'm getting homesick."

Aria sniffed before continuing again, "I threw myself straight into helping injured knights and wrapping myself up in physician work, mainly to stop my mind from thinking about home and also because I do really want to help people. But… at the same time, I feel sort of lost. This all seems so surreal. I can't work out whether I'm actually really here or if I'm dead or just dreaming all of this. I think I want to believe this is real, so to me, it _is_ real. If it wasn't real, I would feel like I was deranged, so I'm sort of telling myself that it is real. And in a way, I feel like I do _want_ to be here, like there's something important I must do before I go home again. Argh, that doesn't even make much sense, I know." She rubbed her temples, sudden panic climbing up from her stomach and into her throat. _I can't have a panic attack now._

Gaius patted her back again, "Just breathe, Aria. It's alright, I'm here. Please continue, it's alright."

Aria took a shaky breath and nodded, "I think of my family and friends, what I should have said to them – to explain that I'm alright- I really regret that I couldn't speak to them before coming here. My parents will be going mad with worry. I just wish I could get a message to them. Then I wonder if I'll ever go home, will they think me dead if I don't return? I don't know. When Merlin was around more often, I felt like I could confide in him and he felt like my rock, I don't know why. I just felt like I knew him and could trust him. Of course, I can trust you too Gaius! I just can't explain, I felt like Merlin and I were connected… that sounds silly I know…"

"It's not silly at all, Aria. I can completely understand that. Merlin is and will be a great man, and he is a pillar of support for many people. I too agree that you and he are interlinked in destiny somehow, especially after Kilgharrah's prophecy. Do not worry, I do not think you are silly." He smiled reassuringly at her, and Aria found herself smiling back in response.

_Gaius makes me feel better, he's like a father figure. I can understand why Merlin relies on him so much. When you have a secret you mustn't tell anyone - that can be quite a burden to bear. I didn't think hiding my secret would be so much effort. I'm glad I can confide in Gaius and I can see why Merlin confides in him also._

"I suppose I'm feeling lost and a little bit lonely. Gwen has been lovely but I know she is busy and she must think me odd for all my questions. I don't want to be a pain for anybody, I want to help the best I can, but it's so hard to get used to Camelot. I think I'm doing OK, but it's hard to know."

"You are doing excellently, Aria. I think you have adapted incredibly well. Your help as a physician have been invaluable. I am glad that you have been able to help me as much as you have. If you need some more time to adjust to Camelot, you don't have to push yourself to work here if you do not want to."

Aria shook her head vigorously, "No, Gaius. I really do want to work here. Please let me stay!"

Gaius chuckled, "Of course, my dear. You can most definitely stay and work with me. But if you do want some time to relax, just let me know. But don't tell Merlin, OK?" Gaius gave a little wink and raised him eyebrow at Aria. Aria giggled in response.

"Thank you for hearing me out Gaius. I do feel a lot better actually." Aria felt the panic ebb away and smiled. _That really did help. I didn't actually expect it to, but I feel like a weight has lifted._

"Any time you want to talk, just let me know Aria. I am always here for you. Now, I think you deserve a break. Why don't you go and explore outside a bit?"

Aria stood up and brushed her cheeks, where a few tears had escaped during her talk. She smiled and nodded at Gaius, "Thank you, Gaius. May I leave my books here please? I can read through them later or pick them up tomorrow."

"Of course. Have a good time exploring - and Aria, do be careful you don't get lost."

Aria grinned, "I won't get lost, thanks Gaius!"

Aria skipped to the door, _I feel a lot better now, I think I'd been avoiding all of that for so long that it was just building up inside. Now, time to explore!_

**A/N- Let me know what you think of this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it :) Please leave me a review, I would really appreciate it **** Thank you! No flames please! **


	8. Chapter 8: A Flash of the Future

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own the plot and any OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart, FeelinGood and louise **for your reviews! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

**A/N- **I'm hoping for some more reviews for this chapter :) Please leave one, even if it's just a few words! I really appreciate it and it's a great feeling to receive them! Thank you ^.^

Please leave **constructive** comments- no flames please.

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 8: A Flash of the Future**

Aria grinned as she left the castle and made her way down Camelot's streets. Everything still seemed so foreign and new to her that she couldn't help but gasp in awe and look all around her with wide eyes. Even though she had been able to leave the castle to gather herbs in the nearby allotments just outside of the town, she was usually rushing to complete the task, as ingredients were almost always needed urgently. But now, she could fully enjoy the sights around her as she made her way to the forest.

_But first, I have to mooch around the market stalls, they always seem so fun and bustling with excitement. _

Aria considered where to go first, and turned towards a loud voice which sounded nearby.

"Some lovely jewellery for you, beau'iful lady! Come take a look over 'ere!" Aria noticed a man grinning at her, beckoning for her to come over.

He looked quite rugged in Aria's opinion, with a beard and scruffy looking hair. He must have been relatively old, for his dark hair was greying and he had a slight beer belly. _Do commoners drink a lot of beer? Can they afford to? Not now, Aria._

Aria laughed and wandered over, "Hello."

"An' 'ello to you too, Miss…"

"Ah, Aria. It's Aria." She smiled kindly at him.

The man beamed at her, "'ello Miss. Aria. 'ow are you feeling today?"

"Quite well, thank you. And yourself?"

The man's eyes opened in surprise, "Tha's very nice of yer to ask miss. I'm very well thanking you. Now, 'ere I 'ave a pretty bracelet. I reckon it'll look pretty on your thin arms." He held out a bracelet and beckoned for her to look at it.

Aria lifted the bracelet from the man's hands and inspected it. In all honesty, she had no idea if the bracelet was made from real silver or not. It looked like it had been though, as it was quite weighty and the jewels inset in it, glistened in the sunlight. Aria put the bracelet on her wrist. _It fits perfectly._

The silver bracelet was coiled around her wrist, forming two rings, with both ends finishing under her wrist and out of sight. As such, it looked like she was wearing two silver bands next to each other. On the top of the bracelet were some jewels, which had been inset in a row. Aria gently ran her fingers across them and smiled.

_Are those, rubies and sapphires? Is that a diamond? No, it can't be. That would be ridiculous… _Aria looked at the stones up close, but she couldn't tell if they were real or not.

Just as she was contemplating the jewels further, she heard hooves clattering down the street behind her, and she turned around to see who was coming. Noticing Arthur and Merlin and a group of familiar looking knights, Aria beamed and waved.

Merlin noticed her immediately and waved back. Smiling, he pulled his horse's reigns to the left, causing the horse to change direction and trot over to Aria.

"_Mer_lin, where are you- oh." Arthur noticed Aria as well and smiled, turning his horse to follow Merlin.

"Hi, Aria." Merlin greeted her and jumped down from his horse.

"Good afternoon, Aria." Arthur joined Merlin on the ground, standing directly in front of her. All around them, the Camelot townsfolk were bowing in Arthur's direction and offering greetings.

"Hi, Merlin. Good afternoon, sire. Are you both having a good day?" Aria smiled warmly at the both of them. She didn't know Arthur that well, but he had always been very polite to her. _Arthur and Gwen are so in love, and if she loves him, he must be good, as she is such a nice person._

Merlin jumped in before Arthur could reply, "We're off on another patrol – I'm being dragged along too."

Arthur huffed and slapped Merlin on the back of the head, "He says that, but really it was _his_ suggestion."

Aria raised her eyebrows at Merlin and grinned, "Really, Merlin? I thought you hated riding out on patrol." Merlin groaned in response.

"Been moaning to everyone about being a servant again, Merlin? Be careful, you may not be one for much longer if you keep this up." Arthur replied, whilst smirking at Merlin.

Merlin grinned in response, "_Never_, sire. I just _love_ going out on patrols and hunting."

Aria laughed, causing Arthur and Merlin to follow suit. All around them, the townsfolk were looking in awe at the trio. It was very rare that the prince would stop and talk freely to someone in the town, and they were overjoyed that he had decided to stop and talk in front of them.

Suddenly a voice chipped in from behind Arthur, "You haven't forgotten about me already have you, my lady?"

Aria grinned and looked up to see Gwaine smiling at her, atop of his horse. He threw her a wink and out of nowhere, pulled a rose from behind his back, leant across Merlin's shoulders and handed it to her. Aria giggled and accepted the rose, giving a small curtsey.

Merlin on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode at any moment, the red flush creeping up his face.

Arthur laughed at the transition and intervened before Merlin could say something he might later regret, "Come now Gwaine, if you have time for charming ladies, you have time for more sword practice. I think you've been relaxing a little too much."

Gwaine held a hand to his heart and mock fainted. Aria laughed and turned towards Merlin, who she noticed, didn't look too amused. _I keep sending him the wrong signals, argh. I don't like Gwaine like that, it's just that he's just so funny! He does things Sam definitely would have done – looks like him too, actually. _

Arthur's response appeared to have calmed Merlin somewhat, and Aria noticed Merlin flick his eyes towards Arthur and nod slightly, Arthur returning the gesture in response. _What was that about? _

Aria noticed that Merlin had gone a bit red, _I suppose Gwaine did lean on him to pass me the rose – with that armour on, he can't be light, right? _

Merlin coughed lightly and turned towards Aria again, "Are you enjoying the markets today, Aria?"

Aria nodded, "Ah, yes. Actually, I was here to look at some jewellery – in particular this bracelet." She lifted her left arm up to show Merlin the bracelet, "I just tried it on, from this stall, here."

The man behind the stall nodded and bowed again, as Arthur had turned his gaze to look at him.

Aria continued, "I was just wondering what sort of jewels these were actually…" She looked again at the bracelet.

Merlin smiled and indicated at her arm, "May I?"

Smiling, Aria nodded and Merlin lifted her arm up to inspect the bracelet. Aria felt herself blushing, _why doesn't he just take it off? His hands are so warm and big, they feel so manly… focus, Aria!_

Merlin pointed to the large, red jewel in the middle of the two lines of jewels, "The large jewel here is a ruby. The jewels on either side are small diamonds, and then next to these, are… yes, these two are sapphires."

Aria's eyes bulged, "They're real?!"

Merlin laughed and let go of her arm, "Yes, quite real."

Aria spun around to the man behind the stall, "How much does this cost?"

_I really love it, but if there are rubies, diamonds and sapphires in it, this much be worth a fortune! I mean, I heard that Maria's friend's engagement ring cost over three thousand pound and that was only for one diamond! Hmmm, maybe it's of different quality, who knows…_

The man smiled at her, "Well, miss, for a friend of t'e prince, I will lower the price." He gave another bow before continuing, "Two silver coins, miss."

"Oh no, it's OK, please tell me the true cost!" Aria flushed and bit her tongue before she started to ramble about equality and fairness.

"No' at all, Miss. Please, 'is my pleasure, Miss." The man bowed again.

Worry passed across Aria's face, _I don't want to only pay two silver coins! The bracelet must be worth a lot more than that! _

Merlin noticed that Aria looked troubled and said, "Aria, let me buy this bracelet for you."

Both Aria and Arthur turned to look at Merlin in surprise. Before Aria could speak, Arthur spoke up, "_You,_ Merlin? _Really_?"

"You don't need to look so surprised." Merlin grumbled and fumbled around in his side bag until he drew out two silver coins.

Aria blushed, "Honestly Merlin, you don't have to, I-"

"I know I don't have to Aria, but I _want_ to." He handed the silver coins to the man and nodded to say thank you.

_Ah - that's a lot of money for this time, I can't just let Merlin pay for the bracelet like that!_

The man took the coins and gave another small bow, thanking Merlin for his patronage, "Tha' bracelet looks beau'iful on yer miss. I am glad I sol' this to yer."

Aria smiled in thanks and turned towards Merlin, "Merlin, you can't pay all that for a bracelet for me, I know two silver coins is a lot of money and-"

"Aria, please don't worry. It's fine, and besides, I really wanted to buy that bracelet for you."

"But-"

Merlin gave her a pointed look and Aria sighed in defeat. _He really shouldn't have done that, two silver coins is a lot of money for this time. I'll have to find a way to pay him back somehow._

"Thank you Merlin. It's really beautiful."

_Still, I can't believe he just bought me a bracelet. _Aria squealed internally, desperately trying not to show her glee on the outside.

"And you called me a charmer!" Gwaine piped up from behind Merlin, causing the other knights to laugh.

Merlin blushed in return, "Um, that's alright Aria. I'm glad you like it… it looks lovely on you… I mean, it's a lovely bracelet…"

Aria grinned, _did he just imply I'm lovely? No… I suppose not really. Stop reading into things Aria! _

Arthur slapped Merlin on the back, "Good job, Merlin. Now, let's continue shall we? It was lovely seeing you again Aria, have a lovely day." He turned to leave, but then stopped and turned to face the man behind the stall, "As an apology for blocking your stall and preventing you from trading during this time." Arthur handed the man two more silver coins, turned around and jumped on his horse.

Aria smiled and gave a small curtsey at Arthur, to show her appreciation. Arthur smiled at her and nodded in response.

The man barely had any time to register that the prince had just given him two silver coins, before Arthur began to ride off down the street.

"Thank you, yer majesty!" The man ran in front of his stall and waved at the prince's back, constantly bowing and saying thank you.

Aria turned towards Merlin, "That was nice of him – ah, I better let you go, Merlin. Or else you'll be left behind."

Merlin grinned, "Pfft, no, they'll stop to let me catch up. Arthur won't say it, but he needs me."

Aria laughed and pointed at Arthur's retreating back, "Really?"

Merlin turned and saw the knights getting further and further away, laughed in response and then jumped on his horse.

"I better go, Aria. I'm glad you like your bracelet. It is a lovely bracelet, but it definitely suits you the best." With that, Merlin blushed bright red, kicked his heels into his horse and trotted away down the street.

Aria stood there in shock, her cheeks heating up. She felt like a whirlwind had just passed her by. Quickly curtseying in thanks at the market stall man, she rushed down the street. _I need to get to the forest to clear my head! He just complimented me! At least, I think that was a compliment right? I'm so happy! _

No matter how hard she tried, Aria couldn't stop grinning. She lifted her hands up to feel her face, _I'm boiling hot, so I must be bright red by now._

Slowing down to a slow walk, she lifted her arm up to view her bracelet. It really was beautiful, and the jewels glinted in the sunlight. _I can't believe this was only two silver coins. Gaius explained the money system to me the other day, but I don't really get the currency. It's not as easy as English pounds. I get one silver coin a week from Gaius, and that helps me to buy some bare essentials. Though I live for free with Gwen, and I eat food from the castle. Hm… Wait, wouldn't that mean Merlin just gave me two weeks of his allowance? For a bracelet?! And I don't even know if he can live and eat for free - what if he can't? What if that was his savings?!_

Aria balked at the thought and shook her head. _I don't think Merlin would do that, I mean, I'm just a friend after all._

Aria looked up and noticed that her feet had automatically taken her to a small clearing in the forest. She sat down on a nearby log and sighed.

"Why am I getting so worked up?" Silence greeted her and Aria sighed again.

_I really wish I could spend more time with him, it's not fair. I always used to sit at home and imagine being thrown into another world - sort of like Narnia - and how it would be such an adventure. Being able to travel great distances, meet gorgeous men and fight evil… but now I'm actually in an unknown world, it's a lot more boring and, well, real. I get up every day for work, I work hard trying to create potions and look after the sick and injured, then after all that, I eat dinner and sleep. It's exactly like back in the future! I haven't gone on any adventures and the one guy who I think is absolutely gorgeous and wonderful, I barely get to speak to. Not to mention he's also the most famous wizard of all time and most probably falls in love with some great witch at some point. Who knows… wait, did I just say I think Merlin is gorgeous?! _

Aria shook her head and sighed. Looking about her, she noticed lots of pretty flowers growing around the log she was sat on. _It would be nice to take some flowers to Gwen, as a small token of thanks for letting me stay with her._

Bending down, Aria picked some peonies and daisies, occasionally stopping to sniff their scent. After about fifteen minutes, Aria had gathered a nice bundle of flowers and she smiled contently. _I think Gwen will really like these._

_**VROOOOOOM!**_

Aria jumped, dropping the small bouquet of flowers she had gathered.

_Was that a… car?! _

Darting her eyes from left to right, she scanned the trees. Aria hesitantly began to walk towards the noise she had heard. _I must be imagining…_

_**VROOOOOOM!**_

_No, I'm not imagining things - that was definitely a car!_

Aria started to run in the direction of the noise, pushing branches and leaves out of her way as she hurtled through the forest at full pelt. As she was running, she heard the car engine noise get even louder, indicating that she was getting closer.

_**VROOOOOOM!**_

Veering to the left, Aria darted between two trees and found herself on a road. A modern day road.

Aria gasped, "W-what? I'm back?"

Her head whipped from right to left as she took in the modern day scenery in front of her. She shuffled and tapped the road with her foot. _Definitely tarmac, I'm back! But Merlin…_

Aria turned and looked at the trees behind her. _Do I want to go back? I never got a chance to get to know Merlin properly… and Gaius and Gwen would be so concerned about me, not knowing if I went home or died somewhere… but Ellie and Maria…my family…_

Aria sighed and shook her head._ Still… I don't think I want to go yet, I want my adventure, I want… I want to tell Merlin how I feel about him. Even though I've not known him long, I feel so connected to him._

The wind blew around her and Aria hugged herself, goose pimples rising on her arms. It felt like the wind was pushing her forward and back into the modern world.

_I need to make my choice. _

Aria looked down at her bracelet and gently touched one of the rubies. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I want to stay in Camelot. I want to stay with Merlin."

Opening her eyes, she noticed that the road was still in front of her. _What? No! I wanted to go back to Camelot!_

_**VROOOOOM!**_

Aria looked right and saw a car driving right at her, so she jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. Her right foot snagged on a tree root and she felt herself falling backwards.

"Oof!" Aria fell flat on her back, her foot still caught under the tree root, causing her ankle to make a cracking noise as she fell. She hesitantly sat up and pulled her foot out gently.

"Ouch!" She winced, "Damn, that hurts."

Glancing up, she gasped, as the road had vanished and was instead replaced with more trees. Looking around her, Aria noticed she was surrounded by a thick expanse of trees and bushes.

"I'm back in Camelot - I must be." Aria gingerly stood up, then fell down again. "Ow, I have to find a branch or something, I can't walk like this."

Looking around for a branch, Aria settled for a bent stick that came up to her hip.

"Ugh, this will have to do. Hmph, in the movies they always find useful things. But no, I just get a bent stick that looks like it couldn't hold up a child. Anyway, better than nothing, I suppose." Aria grumbled, _I always get moody when I've injured myself._

Slowly, Aria started to make her way through the trees. _I have no idea where I'm going, but I think I must have come from behind where I was stood, so that would be over there…_

Turning around, she started to walk.

After what seemed like hours, Aria started to panic. _Oh my God, I'm completely lost aren't I? I have no idea where I am! _

Swallowing down the bile which had started to creep up her throat, Aria felt tears well up in her eyes. Her heart started to beat faster and she felt her stomach do a somersault. _I wanted to come back, but I could have at least been placed somewhere I was more familiar with._

"Should I just stop and wait for a Camelot patrol?" Aria asked out loud, _As if anyone will answer me._

Noticing a nearby stone that looked big enough to sit on, Aria hobbled over to it and sat down, putting her head in her hands. She stared at her bracelet, _what am I going to do? Merlin, please help me._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin winced, _I've been riding on this horse all day, I'm in so much pain._

Looking ahead of him, Merlin saw that Arthur was completely focused on the task at hand, namely watching out for any sign of Morgana or evil. _Or magic. _Merlin reminded himself.

Merlin sighed. _All of the knights seem to be on edge as well. They have seen how stressed Arthur has been and know an attack is imminent. _

"Merlin!"

Merlin kicked his horse slightly, to catch up to Arthur. "Yes, sire?"

"Do you think there will be an attack on Camelot in the near future?"

Merlin thought for a moment. "I do think there will be an attack as it's been many months and we've not heard anything, but when that attack will be, I'm not sure. I think Morgana will prefer to wait until we least expect it, so it could be at any time."

Arthur nodded, "Yes, I agree. Which is why we need to keep up our regular patrols. Thanks Merlin, I just wanted to confirm that."

Grinning, Merlin replied, "Did you just thank me?"

Arthur snorted, "No. Of course not. You're hearing things, Merlin."

Merlin laughed, causing Arthur to chuckle as well – though he tried to cover it up with a cough.

"Right, enough of that Merlin. Knights! Let's head back, the fourth patrol will be on their rounds by now and I think we deserve an early rest tonight."

He was greeted with a few cheers, the loudest coming from Gwaine, who would likely enjoy the company of several women at the tavern tonight. Merlin grinned at them, _it's nice they are able to share some laughter, especially after all that has happened._

"Did you hear that, Merlin?"

"Huh?" Merlin looked behind, at Percival speaking to him.

Percival grinned, "I said, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Merlin started to look around anxiously.

Laughing, Gwaine jumped in, "No, Merlin. Not out there. I was just saying how I hoped the lovely Aria might be available tonight to join me for a moonlight stroll." He winked at the other knights, causing them to snort with laughter.

"A 'stroll' is it?" Percival replied, laughing.

Merlin groaned. _I've had enough of Gwaine trying to wind me up. He's meant to be on my side! Though, maybe he really does like Aria… _

A troubled look passed over Merlin's face. Arthur noticed this and sighed.

"It's not like you to get so easily wound up, Merlin."

Merlin flicked his eyes up to look at Arthur, "Yes, I know, I just… I- I'm a… never mind. It's not like it should bother me anyway, right?"

Merlin clicked to his horse, causing him to ride slightly further ahead.

_Why am I getting so affected by this? I know Gwaine is just playing around, but I just feel like it's not so unlikely that Aria would choose to court someone like him. After all, I'm just a servant… I shouldn't have snapped at Arthur though, he was only trying to help. _

Merlin sighed, _Maybe Aria wouldn't choose to court anyone at all, she may decide to go back to her time and that's the end of that. _Merlin felt his stomach drop at that thought. _I don't want her to go back. I want to get to know her more._

Arthur watched his manservant trotting along ahead of him. He clicked at his horse to go faster, so that he was level with Merlin.

"Merlin, you look like somebody just stole your favourite necktie. Honestly, you look dreadful. I know I've been caught up in worrying about… well, about my own problems, but what's gotten you so forlorn? What happened to my idiot manservant?"

Merlin cocked his head to the side and smiled, "I'm not actually an idiot, you know. I've done more for you than you think."

"Of course you have Merlin." Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I have many talents, it's not my fault you fail to notice them time and time again."

Arthur laughed, "I'll believe you Merlin, many wouldn't."

Merlin groaned, "I just feel really inadequate." As soon as he said it, Merlin pursed his lips together in a fine line. _Why did I just say that? Arthur will definitely laugh or say something to the other knights._

Arthur looked thoughtful and then replied, "You don't need to feel inadequate, Merlin."

Merlin looked at Arthur in surprise, "Are you being nice to me?"

Arthur laughed, "Well, you gave me no choice. I don't want your face to look like a cat's bottom all day, do I? I won't ever get my room cleaned, my stables mucked out, my boots polished…"

Merlin grinned, "Thanks, _sire."_

"Anytime, Merlin."

They carried on in silence. "Merlin, why do you feel inadequate?"

Merlin sighed and glanced down at his hands, which were gripping the reins a bit too tight. "I suppose I just worry about how… how Aria will see me. I'm not exactly anyone great…"

"Merlin! Are you trying to say that being the personal manservant to the prince is not a great honour?!" Arthur clapped Merlin on the back. "Really Merlin, don't be so stupid. Aria doesn't seem like that sort of woman. She will like you for who you really are."

"I can't offer her anything."

"You just bought her a bracelet."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Yes, I know, but I want to spoil her like that all of the time, and I wouldn't be able to buy her jewellery like that whenever I wanted to."

"Look, Merlin, I don't know Aria very well, but I can tell that she is not the sort of woman to choose a man based on how much jewellery he buys her."

Merlin sighed, "You're probably right Arthur, I just feel insecure when I'm compared with Gwaine. After all, he is a knight of Camelot."

Arthur nodded, "Yes, that's true, but you can't help who you fall in love with, Merlin. Be they of royal blood or not." He looked away from Merlin, a thoughtful expression passing across his face.

Merlin smiled sadly, _He's obviously thinking about Gwen. Maybe he's right, I should just show Aria how much I care for her, get to know her more… then maybe she would choose me. Maybe I should speak to Gwen for some advice._ _Yes, that's what I'll do. _Merlin felt himself perk up a little bit at that thought.

Noticing Merlin had cheered up, Arthur clapped him on the back again. "Good to know my manservant has returned."

"Good to know the idiot part hasn't." Merlin replied cheekily.

"Wait, you're absolutely right Merlin. Good to know my _idiot_ manservant has returned."

Arthur and Merlin grinned at one another and carried on riding the rest of the way to Camelot's castle in a comfortable silence.

**A/N –I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! I will start to tie things into Season 4 shortly, so I hope you like my take on the episodes. I won't be typing out the episodes and using them in my chapters, as I would like each chapter to be 'new' and also mainly from Aria's perspective. I also find that helps to keep things interesting and still contains some 'unknowns'. **

**Please please please leave a review! It's really motivating and I love to read them ^.^ Even if it's just a few words! 3 **


	9. Chapter 9: Lost and Found

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart, ****Stephanied473**, **FeelinGood** and **Guest **for your reviews! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

**A/N- **My longest chapter yet! Can I be rewarded with even more reviews? ;)

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

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**Chapter 9: Lost and Found**

Merlin whistled to himself as he made his way swiftly towards Gaius's chambers. _Aria must be back from town by now. I can't believe Arthur gave me the evening off, he must be in a good mood._

Merlin approached the familiar wooden door and knocked once, before quickly entering.

Gaius looked up from his workbench, "Ah, Merlin. Good to see you. Why you bother to knock when you just walk in, I'll never know."

Merlin grinned, "Hi Gaius. Is Aria around?"

"No, she's not. She went out earlier today for some fresh air."

Merlin frowned, "Yes, I saw her in town a few hours ago, but it's gotten quite late and the market stalls have closed, so she can't be there anymore."

Gaius replied, "Maybe she met with Gwen and went back home?"

"Hm… I'll go and check – thanks Gaius!"

"Anytime, Merlin. Let me when you find her, or else I shall worry."

Merlin nodded and headed out of Gaius's chambers.

_I wouldn't have thought Aria would just vanish like that. After all, this is an entirely new world to her. She must be at Gwen's, just like Gaius said. But, I have a bad feeling about something, I can't explain it, like a weight at the bottom of my stomach._

Merlin ran to Gwen's home as fast as he could. When he arrived, he noticed light coming from inside and sighed in relief. _She must be here._

He knocked on Gwen's door and waited.

The door creaked open and Gwen appeared holding a pan, "Oh, Merlin! You scared me; I wondered who was here at this time in the evening!"

"Sorry for scaring you Gwen. I was just wondering if Aria was here? Arthur gave me the evening off and I was hoping to spend some time with her."

Concern passed across Gwen's face, "No, she isn't here. I thought she was with Gaius, or maybe with you. Where could she be?"

Merlin could see Gwen starting to panic, and he too felt the lump in his stomach grow bigger.

"I don't know, Gwen. I will go and look for her immediately. Stay here, where it's safe."

"I want to come too, Merlin." Gwen put the pan down and went to grab a nearby shawl.

Merlin gently placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "It's OK Gwen, I'd rather you be safe here. I will be faster if I go alone anyway - I'll go to the stables and get a horse."

Gwen nodded slowly, "Then let me get Arthur to gather a patrol together, to go and find her with you."

Merlin shook his head, "She may be nearby and I don't want to alarm Arthur when he's finally started to relax a little bit. I'll try and find her alone first, and if I have no luck, I will contact Arthur. I promise."

Gwen nodded, comforted somewhat at this. "Please bring her home after you find her Merlin. I won't be able to rest until I know she is safe."

Merlin nodded, "I'll bring her back."

With that, Merlin turned around and headed towards the castle. _I must get my horse – it will be much easier to search that way. Aria, where are you?_

Merlin ran into the stables and prepared his horse. Jumping onto his back, Merlin gently pushed his heels in and started riding down Camelot's streets.

_Fortunately it isn't quite time for the curfew, but I still don't want Arthur to see me leaving as he'll wonder what's wrong. _Merlin held out his hand and recited a spell to quieten the horse's hooves.

Reaching the market area where he had seen Aria earlier that day, Merlin looked around to see if he could find any clues.

After several minutes of frantic searching, Merlin growled in frustration, "Aria, where _are_ you?"

"Oh, you talking about Miss. Aria that was 'ere earlier today?"

Merlin whirled around at the sound of an unexpected newcomer.

"Ah, you was the sir that paid me the silver coins for the bracelet. Thanking you again sir." The familiar face of the market stall man came into view. "Did you say you was looking for Miss. Aria? 'as she gone missing?"

Merlin considered the man carefully. _Could he be behind Aria's disappearance? No, I mustn't judge so harshly and so quickly. _

"I can't find her – have you seen her?"

The man shook his head, "Not since t'is morning. After you and 'is 'ighness left, she ran down that way, towards the edge o' town." The man pointed towards the direction of Camelot's gates.

Merlin groaned again, "She left the city?"

"I'm not sure, but I know she ran tha' way for sure."

"Thank you so much. I must go, I must find her."

The man nodded, "I 'ope she is alright. Please do find 'er."

"I most definitely will. Thank you."

With that, Merlin jumped onto his horse and rode towards Camelot's gates. _Aria, where did you go? Please don't tell me you're lost in the forest somewhere._

Merlin rode out to some of the nearby places where Aria collected herbs and found nothing. He looked around for any sign of her, but the area didn't look like it had been disturbed at all.

_Do I not know any tracking spells? Surely there must be one…_

"_Ifandere." _Merlin's eyes flashed gold. Nothing happened.

"_Findær su Aria."_ Merlin's eyes flashed again, but still nothing happened.

Merlin tethered his horse to a nearby tree and started to look around frantically.

_Should I call Kilgharrah? No, I can't bother him for something which may not be an issue. When it starts getting too dark to see, that's when I'll call him. I'm sure Aria has just lost track of time somewhere…_

Merlin spent the next quarter of an hour rummaging through the bushes and trees nearby. Sighing, he was just about to call Kilgharrah when he noticed flowers in the near distance arranged oddly on the ground. He sprinted over to them.

"Are these…?" Merlin bent down to look at the more closely.

"Yes, they were handpicked – was this Aria?"

Another idea jumping into his brain, Merlin leant down, "_Singen su dô."_

Instantly, Merlin was shown flashes of what had recently come to pass in the area. His heart rate increased when he saw Aria bend down and start picking up some flowers. _She was here! _He saw her sigh and look around, before continuing to pick up some more flowers. She looked at her bracelet and smiled warmly. Then, he heard the most awful noise.

"What was that? That sounded like some sort of beast!" Merlin exclaimed, clamping his hands over his ears. _No. Please don't let it have captured Aria. _

Merlin felt sick and his blood was pumping so fast through his veins he could barely hear anything but the quick rhythmic 'ba-dum' of his heart.

Then, he saw Aria look surprised and turn towards the noise. The horrible noise sounded again and Aria took off full pelt through the trees. _Wait, towards the noise? Why would she do that?_

Merlin started to run in the direction he watched vision Aria head in. He noticed branches had been broken as he passed, which reassured him that he was heading down the same path as she had taken.

Merlin saw as Aria hurtled through the bushes and suddenly came to an abrupt stop, staring in awe at something in front of her. But Merlin saw only trees. _Why is she looking at the trees like that?_

Vision Aria spoke, "W-what? I'm back?"

Merlin gasped, "Aria!" He watched as vision Aria started to fade. _How can a person fade like that? NO. Is she going back to her time? NO! I haven't had a chance to get to know her or tell her how I feel about her. She can't go back!_

Merlin felt the same magic he had when Aria had come to Camelot, and panic ripped through his very core.

"Aria, please stay! Please, stay with me!" Merlin desperately tried to claw at vision Aria's back, but of course, she was only a vision, so his hands passed right through her. Despite that, he saw her get pushed forward slightly as if she had felt his hands reach forward to grab her. _Did she just feel my hands reach out to her? No, that's impossible, she's a vision, this is the past._

Merlin choked back a sob, "Aria, please. Please don't go."

He looked up and saw Aria close her eyes. Vision Aria started to get hazy, _Is she going? Is this it?_

"I want … in Camelot. I want … with ..."

Merlin couldn't make out what vision Aria was saying, the wind had started to pick up around him and it deafened out her words.

Suddenly, he saw Aria fall back, and he reached out to try and catch her. Of course, she fell straight through his arms and he winced when he heard her ankle crack from being bent the wrong way. He leant down and saw that she had most definitely sprained her ankle very badly. He couldn't tell if it was broken, as vision Aria was very blurry by now. She stood up and then dropped down again, before reaching around for a nearby stick, which she used to push herself up on. Merlin saw her mouth some words, the audio now completely vanished as the wind howled around him.

_She stayed. She really stayed. Thank goodness._

Merlin watched her turn around and start hobbling away. _Where is she going? She's going the wrong way! But at least it doesn't look like her ankle is broken – if it was, she wouldn't be able to walk at all. _

Merlin started to follow vision aria through the forest again. He wrapped his arms around himself, _the wind has really picked up. I wonder where it came from so suddenly._

Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the wind died down. Merlin looked up at the sky as if to see the reason why, but when he couldn't see anything, he shook his head and continued to follow vision Aria. _Finding Aria is the most important thing right now._

After some time, he saw her sit on a nearby rock and gaze at her bracelet whilst her head was in her hands. Merlin started to look around frantically to see if she had fallen or lain down nearby.

He saw that the stone had indeed been sat on, as the moss on top of it had been rubbed off. But there was no sign of Aria.

"ARIA! ARIA, ARE YOU HERE?" Merlin shouted loudly.

He was greeted with silence.

Turning around, he noticed vision Aria had started walking again, this time heading in another direction.

"No! Don't go!" Merlin shouted, as vision Aria started to flicker, before she vanished completely. _My magic isn't holding out – it's based only on the presence of her hands on the flowers from earlier, I must find something else._

Looking around, Merlin smacked his forehead with his hand. _Of course, the stone. She touched the stone._

He leant forward and placed his hand on the stone, "_Singen su dô."_

Vision Aria re-appeared, much clearer than before and Merlin began to follow her again. _Aria, where are you going? You're walking around in circles. If only you had just stayed where you were…_

After another thirty minutes of following vision Aria, Merlin heard a faint whimpering sound. Stopping, he strained his ears to hear more.

"Dammit… where am I?" A familiar, female voice mumbled nearby, followed by more sniffing.

_Aria!_

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Gwen paced around her house, gradually becoming more and more panicked at the thought that Aria had vanished mysteriously.

_She could have gone down an alley and been attacked. Oh dear, she's not used to Camelot, what if something bad like that has really happened? Camelot is safe though, so I don't think… but what if it did? I can't take this. Not knowing, this is driving me crazy._

Gwen grabbed her cloak from next to her front door, threw it over her shoulders and hurriedly made her way to the castle.

_I know Merlin said not to contact Arthur, but I'm so worried. I'll find Gaius, to see if he has heard from Aria. Yes, that's what I'll do first._

Gwen ran as fast as her shoes would allow to Gaius's chambers. She stopped outside his door, gasping for breath and knocked several times.

"Come in!"

Gwen pushed open the door and walked in. Gaius was sat at his workbench and seemed absorbed in a book he was reading.

"Gaius, I'm sorry to bother you so late at night. I was wondering if you had heard from Aria?"

Gaius's head snapped up immediately, "Has she still not been found?" He closed his book, stood up and made his way over to Gwen. "Hm, I thought she may have started to walk back to your house, but I see that is evidently not the case."

"No, I haven't seen her all day." Gwen's hands started to shake. "Merlin went out to find her, but it's been almost an hour already…"

Gaius reached over and patted her on the shoulder, "There, there, don't worry my dear, if Merlin is out searching for her, you can be sure he will find her."

"But what if he _doesn't_ Gaius? How can you be sure he will? What can one man do? She could be anywhere. She could be outside Camelot! What if she was taken? What if she was-"

"Gwen, please, you're distraught. Here, let me make you a cup of calming potion."

"But-"

Gaius sent Gwen a pointed look and she immediately stopped talking and glanced down. He went over to his stove and began pouring the potion from a pot that had been slowly boiling over a small flame.

"I had just put on the potion to boil, as I enjoy a nice cup of it before I go to sleep." Gaius poured out a cup of calming potion for Gwen and handed it to her.

After pouring a cup for himself he turned to face her again, "I know you are worried, Gwen. But I assure you, if Merlin is out there searching for Aria, he will find her."

"But that's what I'm saying Gaius. He is only one man. We should at least let Arthur know-"

"And start a full blown search party? Gwen, I assure you, if anyone can find her, Merlin can. You've seen how he looks at her, you must know that he cares for her very deeply."

Gwen sighed, "I know. I just worry that we should be expending more resources on trying to find her. I know that if I ask Arthur he will search for her – he is a fair prince after all."

Gaius smiled kindly at her, "I know he is, and if Merlin cannot find Aria, he would come back and request his aid. And we both know Arthur would willingly supply it."

Taking a sip of her potion, Gwen felt herself calm down. _Gaius is right, if there was any problem Merlin would surely come back immediately to get Arthur. I just hope Aria is alright. I can't help but worry. _

"Thank you, Gaius. I asked Merlin to take Aria to my house when he finds her, so I suppose I should head back there now, just in case they arrive."

"Finish your potion first, Gwen. You will feel much better then. Merlin will know that if you are not at home, you will be here. Do not worry."

Gwen smiled at Gaius and continued drinking. _Tonight is going to be a long night if I have to wait for Merlin to find Aria. Please find her soon, Merlin._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria couldn't stop sniffing. It was all she could do to not burst into tears and sob inconsolably. _Why do I always find myself in these situations? _

"Dammit… where am I?" She sniffed again and buried her head in her hands. Her ankle was throbbing and she felt cold and alone.

A rustle sounded behind her and Aria immediately became alert and stopped sniffing. _It's probably a fox again, just like it was twenty minutes ago. Yes, a fox. _

At the sound of a twig snapping, Aria gasped and held her breath. Her heart beat quickened and she closed her eyes, dreading what was slowly approaching her. She opened her eyes and reached down towards the stick she had been using as a walking stick. Picking it up in her hand, she held the pointiest end upwards, just in case she needed to jab it at something.

"Aria! Are you there?"

Aria let out her breath in one big gasp. "Merlin!"

Blinking rapidly to adjust to the growing darkness, Aria tried to push herself up off the floor.

Merlin ran over to where he saw Aria pushing herself up against a tree.

"Oh, Aria, you're alright!" Merlin leant forward and engulfed Aria in a big hug. "I thought you had… well, I thought you had gone back to your time."

Aria felt herself blushing as Merlin gripped her torso in a bear hug. She reached up and gently grabbed the back of his shirt and jacket with her left hand, whilst her right hand was leaning on the tree behind her.

Aria sighed, _even in a forest surrounded by grass, shrubbery and greenery, I can still clearly smell his scent of __freshly mowed grass and spices._

Aria gripped on to him tighter, the realisation that she had been found suddenly sinking in. _I could have died out here. I had no idea how to get back. How did he find me?_

Without meaning to, Aria started to sob loudly.

Merlin jumped and gently pulled her away from him. He stayed into her eyes, concern clearly etched on his face, "Aria, it's OK. I'm here now, you're safe."

Aria sniffled again and nodded, a lone tear leaking out of her left eye and trailing down her cheek. Merlin lifted his hand up and gently wiped the tear away. When his skin touched hers, Aria felt a jolt of electricity pass through her. It seemed as though Merlin felt the same, as his hand froze in mid-air as it left her cheek. Aria's breath caught in her throat, and she froze, staring into Merlin's intensely blue eyes.

Merlin leant closer towards her and Aria's stomach dropped in anticipation. _Is he going to...?_

Aria could feel his breath coming out in warm puffs on her cheek and she was suddenly very aware that she was pressed up against a tree, with Merlin extremely close to her. His lips were only inches away from hers. Aria tried to breathe normally but found she was unable to – it was like she was enchanted.

A twig snapped behind them, and as if broken out of a spell, Merlin jumped away from Aria, blushing profusely.

"Well, as long as… you know… you're alright. Um. Yes. That's the main thing. Yes." Merlin started to ramble, looking everywhere but at Aria.

Aria felt her heart drop, but she put a smile on her face nevertheless. _What was that? Was he about to kiss me? Maybe I'm imagining things, maybe I made him uncomfortable somehow? I should say something…_

Finally, she broke the silence, "Thank you, Merlin. Truly, thank you. I thought I would die out here. I wasn't sure when a patrol would pass. Hell, I have no idea _where_ I even am. Am I still in Camelot? How did you find me?" _Eurgh, I always ramble when I'm nervous._

Merlin unfroze and slowly lowered his hand to his side, "You're still in Camelot, though you are a long way away from the castle. I don't know how you managed to get yourself so lost. I tried looking for you in the town, and the man from the market stall earlier today said he'd seen you leaving Camelot's gates. So I looked around for any sign of you. I found the flowers you had been picking and used a spell to locate where you had been and were going."

Aria blinked in surprise, "That sort of spell exists?"

_At least he's able to look at me again._

Merlin nodded in affirmation, "Yes. Though I tried a simple location spell at first, but that didn't work. I don't know why. I tried a couple, actually. But luckily I found something you had touched more recently – the flowers – so I was able to use that to track the past, to see what you had done."

Aria's eyes opened in surprise, "Did you- did you see what happened?"

_Please don't let him have heard what I said. I might die if he heard me say I wanted to stay because of him. Damn, did I say that I thought he was gorgeous out loud? No! I can't remember! _

Merlin shook his head, "Sort of. I saw you running towards a horrible noise. I thought it was a beast – and then, you seemed to stop and mumbled something. I couldn't hear what you said very well. And then you fell backwards and hurt your ankle – oh! Your ankle! Let me see it."

Merlin gently helped Aria down, "May I?"

Aria smiled and remembered him saying that earlier when he wanted to observe her bracelet. She nodded and he reached down and placed a hand over her hurt ankle. Aria felt her cheeks heat up from his touch.

"_Doreñ." _Merlin's eyes flashed gold and Aria felt a warm sensation pass from his hands and into her ankle.

"Ahh." Aria sighed.

Merlin looked up, "How does it feel?"

"A lot better, thank you." She smiled at him. _I can't believe we nearly kissed, well, at least I want to tell myself that's what it was. And then he touches my ankle – does this mean he likes me? No, I think it's more likely that he is being a gentleman, I wouldn't be so lucky as to have Merlin like me. _

Aria felt her smile falter, "Merlin, why did you think I was going back to my time?"

Merlin swallowed, "I saw you looking at something that I couldn't see and I heard you mention something about being back, so I just assumed…" Merlin looked down at his hand which was still resting on her ankle, and immediately yanked it away, evidently embarrassed.

Aria blushed in return and continued, "You're right. I nearly did go back."

Flicking his eyes back up to hers, Merlin looked at her questioningly. "You did?"

Aria nodded, "Yes. Though I- I asked to stay."

Merlin looked even more surprised, "You did?"

Aria chuckled at his use of the same phrase, "Yes, but after the dream and the prophecy, I'm sure there is an important reason I'm in Camelot, so I thought it best I stay. I might be needed after all."

Merlin nodded, "I agree. I think you're most definitely needed."

Aria blushed again and smiled coyly, "Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin smiled and blushed as well, "O-oh, that noise, was that a beast? Why did you run towards it?"

"That wasn't a beast, Merlin." Aria started laughing, "That was a car."

He gave her a blank look, "A… car?"

"Do you remember the other week when I explained about different types of transport? Well, the car is probably the main type of transport method in my time. A lot of people over 18 years old have a car which they use to drive around."

"Drive…?"

"Ah, yes. Um… it's hard to explain. It's like riding a horse - well, you drive a car."

"I think I understand. I remember you saying something about transport being a lot faster than a horse. I think I can imagine it, if that noise is anything to go by."

Aria chuckled, "Yes, I think it would scare you to see a car going fast. It even scares me sometimes!"

"I couldn't see the car, but I did hear it. I wonder why."

Aria thought for a moment, "I'm not too sure. Maybe sound from the future is fine for you to hear, but if you saw something from the future that would give you a glimpse of future technology, which is not allowed?"

Merlin laughed, "Yes, maybe that's it. But it sounded rather terrifying, so I'm definitely glad you're not going back to a place with those sorts of things in them."

"I suppose that's a fair assumption to make." Aria grinned at him.

Aria looked up at the night sky and saw that a lot of stars were twinkling above her. For some reason that made her nostalgic and she began to reminisce about her childhood in the countryside.

"You know, speaking of cars, when I was quite young, I almost got hit by a car."

Merlin looked at her, "Would that hurt?"

"Ah, yes. Very much. Depending on the speed, you can be killed by getting hit by a car. It's not uncommon."

Merlin looked appalled, "And this is used for general transportation and not as a weapon? Surely this car is a weapon if it can cause such damage?"

"That's an interesting way of looking at it. But no, it's not a weapon, and I suppose based on the speed the car was travelling and how young I was, if I had been hit, I would have been killed or severely injured."

Horrified, Merlin took a while to respond, "That's dreadful – how did you escape?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I went to cross the road to get to my mother who was waiting for me at our front door. I just stepped out into the road without looking. I was only six years old, but I still should have looked before I crossed. I remember my mum shouting at me, as she saw what was about to happen. But then, I felt a rush of wind push me back – I actually felt myself lift off the ground slightly. The car flew past – the jerk who was driving didn't even stop – but at least I was OK. My mum was furious though – made me watch traffic and road videos for months, just to make sure I was fine walking across roads again." Aria chuckled at the memory, "At the time it was so boring, but it probably did help with my road awareness. But yeah, it was pure luck that I was blown backwards by the wind. A lot of children aren't that lucky."

Merlin looked thoughtful, "That is lucky. I am glad you weren't hurt."

Aria smiled, "Thank you. I'm glad too!" She chuckled, causing Merlin to laugh with her.

After a moment, Merlin spoke up again, "I'm sorry I've not been around much these last two weeks. Arthur has been quite stressed, what with Morgana's betrayal and Uther's decline in health and mind. I have been really worried about him and couldn't leave him to wallow alone."

"Of course – I completely understand. I've also been really busy with preparing medicines for Gaius, so please don't worry about me."

Merlin smiled, "I really am sorry though. I would have liked to show you around Camelot more."

Aria grinned, "Then you must! That's a plan, Merlin. You can't back out now."

Merlin laughed, "Alright, alright. A plan it is. I promise to show you around Camelot more in the future."

"Hmm… let's say within the next two weeks – deal?" Aria grinned cheekily at him and held out her hand for him to shake.

"Deal." Merlin laughed and shook hands with Aria.

Aria felt the jolt pass through her hand again, and she shivered in delight.

_I wonder if he felt that too? It's like the near-kiss has been forgotten. Well, not by me at least, but we're just talking normally again. _

"Also, thank you again for my bracelet, it's really beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it. A beautiful piece of jewellery is best suited for a beautiful lady." As soon as he said it, Merlin went bright red with embarrassment. "I- I, um… I mean."

Aria smiled at him, "Thank you, Merlin. That's really nice of you – I'm flattered."

Internally Aria was praising herself for remaining calm, as she felt as if every molecule in her body was exploding with happiness at that very minute.

Merlin took a deep breath and smiled at her in return. They lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Merlin flicked his eyes across at Aria, "Thank you for staying, Aria. The prophecy indicated that you were needed to help save Arthur. If you had chosen to go back, I don't know what would have happened."

"I wouldn't just abandon you, Merlin. W-well I mean abandon Camelot and Arthur, you know." _Idiot, Aria, be careful you don't say something stupid that you'll regret._

Merlin smiled at her and they both lapsed into another comfortable silence.

After some time, Merlin spoke up, "I suppose we should be heading back, Gwen is worried sick."

Aria jumped slightly, "Oh! I didn't realise she knew I was missing. Oh dear, poor Gwen. I feel terrible." Aria felt the guilt wash over her like a wave.

Merlin laid a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, Aria. She's doing fine - I told her I would find you. Sorry for worrying you. I bought my horse, though he is some distance away. Will you be alright to walk with me?"

Aria nodded, "Since you fixed up my ankle, it only aches a little bit. I can definitely walk most of the way, if not all of it. Thanks, Merlin."

Merlin helped Aria up to her feet. She tested her newly healed ankle and when she deemed it safe to walk on, she nodded at Merlin.

"It feels good. I'm ready to head back."

Merlin smiled, "Right. Um… well, if you want, you know, just in case your ankle is still sore, you can lean on me a little bit. Only if you want to of course."

Aria smiled warmly at him, "Thank you, Merlin. That would be great, thanks."

He walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her torso. For the second time that day, Aria felt Merlin embrace her and the butterflies in her stomach started doing somersaults again.

_He feels so muscular. He's very well built, but it's hard to tell through his baggy clothes. But I can feel his arm pressing against my back… _Aria gulped quietly as she felt the butterflies start to explode inside her stomach.

_I'm not entirely sure I'll make it back to the castle at this rate. I'm so happy that my heart aches. How does that work? I thought heart ache only happened when you were sad? But right now, I feel so happy that my chest is constricting. I think I need to breathe more – holding my breath is evidently not helping matters. _

Aria wrapped her arm around Merlin's torso in return, so that they were leaning on one another. Together, they started walking through the forest.

_If I'm honest, my ankle really doesn't hurt at all. Should I pretend to hobble a bit so I can stay latched onto him? Is that a bit weird? Would he know I'm faking it? _

Merlin watched as various emotions flickered across Aria's face. He blushed at how close they were, and how his hand was resting on the small of her back.

He gulped, "So, Aria, how's your ankle doing?"

Aria panicked, _I knew he'd pick up on me trying to limp a little bit. What do I say?_

"Erm. It's alright, thank you. Still aches a little bit, but I think it'll be alright."

Merlin let out a breath, "That's good. I'm glad it's feeling better."

_Phew._

Together, they slowly made their way back to Merlin's horse. It was already dark when they arrived. Once there, Merlin helped Aria into the saddle and began to lead the horse back to Camelot.

"Aren't you coming up as well? I mean, I feel bad if you walk all the way back."

"It's alright, it's not far away now, anyway."

"Oh, OK." _Aw, I hoped he would ride with me, I wanted to feel his arms wrapped around me… It must have been that near-kiss, I must have done something wrong. Thought I have no idea what. Argh, this is exactly why I never bothered with boyfriends back at home – it's so much hassle and confusion! _

Aria shook her head in frustration and sighed. _Oh well, maybe a good night's sleep will help sort out my thoughts._

After travelling some time in silence, Aria saw Camelot's impressive towers glimmering in the moonlight.

"It's beautiful."

Merlin looked up at her, "Yes. I thought the same when I first came here, too."

Aria couldn't help but stare in wonder at the castle as they approached. _The first time I arrived in Camelot I didn't really take the castle in, but now I can see it in the moonlight, it looks like a castle from a fairy tale. It's so beautiful and magnificent._

They headed to Gwen's house first. Merlin helped Aria off her horse and helped her walk to Gwen's front door.

Knocking on the door, they heard shuffling from inside, and Gwen threw open the door in a flurry.

"ARIA! You're alright!" Gwen rushed at her friend and gave her a big hug, then pulled away and smacked her gently on the arm, "Where _have_ you _been?_ I've been worried _sick_ about you! Do you know what thoughts passed through my head?"

Aria hung her head in shame. Merlin was about to speak up for her, but she gently touched his arm with her hand and he stopped.

"I'm so sorry, Gwen. I got lost in the woods and then I fell over and hurt my ankle. I was in so much pain and I couldn't get back. I don't know what I would have done if Merlin hadn't found me."

Any anger that Gwen felt from worrying over her friend dissipated immediately, "Oh, no, Aria is your ankle better now? It must hurt – come on in, we'll get you to bed straight away so you can rest it. Merlin, thank you so much for returning Aria."

"Of course, Gwen. I'll leave you both alone. Have a good evening, Aria, Gwen." Merlin nodded his head at both of them.

"Thank you again Merlin. Really, thank you."

Merlin smiled at Aria in return, "Goodnight, Aria."

He then turned around and headed to the stables to put his horse to bed for the night.

Gwen ushered Aria in and helped get her ready for bed.

"Oh you poor thing, you must have been so scared alone."

Aria nodded, "I was rather scared. I'm so lucky Merlin came along, I don't know how he found me."

Gwen smiled, "He was frantic about you, you know."

Aria blushed, "Really?"

"Yes. You could tell he was trying to calm himself down. But he was definitely very worried." Gwen nodded.

Aria smiled, "He's a very sweet person."

"He is indeed. Now come on, we can chat tomorrow, but for now, you must rest."

"OK. I'll see you in the morning, Gwen. And, I'm so sorry again for worrying you."

"That's alright. I'll forgive you this once. Goodnight, Aria."

"Goodnight, Gwen."

With that, Aria blew out the candle next to her bed and let darkness envelop her. As she closed her eyes, she smiled as she knew she'd dream about a pair of beautiful, blue eyes.

**A/N – Hope you enjoyed this chapter **** I will start to align my chapters with Season 4 now (although large amounts of dialogue from the episodes will ****not**** be used, as the chapters will mainly be from Aria's POV). **

**Note- you don't have to know the TV series to continue with this story! **

**I will also write some chapters which aren't mentioned in the series, for my own plot development.**

**Please leave a review for my longest chapter yet! Even if it's just a few lines, that would really be great, thank you **

**Enjoy! **


	10. Chapter 10: The Departure

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N- Please note - **This chapter is going to sync with Merlin Season 4 Episode 1. However – if you haven't seen the series, that's OK! **You will still be able to follow this story without knowing the TV episodes **

Most sections will be from Aria's point of view and I will be inserting Aria/Merlin scenes, so it won't be a direct copy of the episode. You will see some similarities/ aligning themes/ battles/ monsters etc.

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart, maisy4merlin **and **Guests **for your reviews! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

All those reviews motivated me to finish this chapter yay!

**A/N- Wow longest chapter yet!** Maybe I can be rewarded with some reviews? Huhuhu xD

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 10: The Departure**

Aria glanced up at the ceiling and sighed. _It's been just over three weeks since I got lost in the forest and nearly kissed Merlin. That's gone by so quickly, I can't believe I've been in Camelot over a month already. I also can't believe how quickly we almost kissed – I'd barely known him then! But I dunno, it just felt… right. _

_I'm so glad that I've recovered from my home sickness. The two weeks before this were horrible, I felt so terrible all of the time. I think I've come to terms with everything. Just about. I suppose now, everything does feel very real and I have to learn to live here. Having Gaius, Gwen and Merlin has really helped though, I don't think I'd have been half as rooted as I am now without them. Getting to know Arthur and the other knights has also been great – they are all characters! But everyone is really nice, so I feel like I'm settling in really well._

Tapping her pencil on the desk, Aria looked down and continued to read through and make notes on her most recent library book, 'How to cure Fibulous Fever'. It was actually a lot more interesting than it sounded.

When she had returned from the forest, she had gone straight to bed as she was incredibly tired, but in hindsight, she wished she'd gone to see Gaius as well. She knew he must have been distressed at her disappearance, but her brain wasn't functioning properly and she didn't really consider it. Luckily, Merlin had gone back to his chambers that night, and had assured Gaius that she was safe and sound, tucked away in bed at Gwen's cottage. But Aria still felt guilty that she had not gone to see him straight away, especially after how kind he had been to her earlier that day.

Gaius had understood perfectly of course, but Aria still couldn't help but feel dreadful at causing him, Gwen and Merlin to be worried for her safety. As such, she had strived to work even harder than before, usually staying up until quite late researching medicines and cures for ailments and diseases. On the bright side, this had meant that she had spent a lot more time with Merlin, often eating dinner with him and Gaius in the evenings.

She smiled as she recalled one particular conversation they'd had two weeks ago.

"_Good evening Aria."_

_Aria looked up to see Merlin walking up to her, "Hi Merlin. Have you had a good day?"_

_He scratched is head, "It's been quite good. Arthur wasn't too bad, so I finished my day chores early."_

"_Ah, that's good."_

"_Mm-hmm. How about you?"_

"_It's been a good day for me too, I managed to create my first calming potion – and it worked too!"_

_Merlin grinned at her, "That's great! That's a really tough potion to make and you've created it in such a short period of time. It took me ages."_

_Aria laughed, "Thanks Merlin. It was quite difficult – surprisingly so – but with Gaius's teaching, I understood things easily."_

_Smiling at him, Aria felt her cheeks warm as she recalled their near-kiss in the forest a week prior, and how muscular and manly he had felt when they had had their arms around one another. Shaking her head to help her remain calm and composed, she looked at him, and suddenly remembered what she wanted to ask him. _

"_Oh, Merlin. Before I forget, do you think I could have some blank paper please? Or a blank book that I could write in?"_

_Merlin thought for a moment, "Yes, I have some spare books under my bed – I'll grab them for you."_

_He ran quickly up the stairs to his chambers. Aria couldn't help but laugh when she heard banging noises from inside, as Merlin was obviously searching high and low for the books._

_He came out looking sheepish, "Found them!" Noticing her smiling face, he added, "OK, OK, so they weren't where I thought they would be, so I had to… do a bit of digging around."_

_Aria laughed some more, causing Merlin to grin at her. Aria felt butterflies in her stomach at how handsome his smile was. _

"_Thanks, Merlin. Are you sure you don't mind me using them?"_

"_Of course. If you don't mind me asking, why do you need them?"_

"_I was thinking of keeping a journal. I was hopeless at it back in my time, and my entries were really boring. But I think my circumstances mean that my entries will be a lot more interesting now. If I do ever go-" Aria paused slightly, "- well, if I do ever go back, then I'll have a full record of everything that has happened. I'll make sure to have it with me, if that time comes."_

_Merlin looked a bit sad at this, but quickly covered it up with a smile, "I think that's a great idea, Aria. You said 'if' though, do you not think you'll go back?"_

_Aria blushed, "Well, maybe I will… but I'm not too sure I'd mind it too much if I had to stay here…" She stopped talking, afraid that she would say something stupid or ruin her friendship with Merlin if she carried on any further._

_Merlin looked at her questioningly, "You wouldn't?"_

_Aria turned away slightly, "I miss my family and friends of course, but I know I'm here for a reason so I want to make sure I do my part well. If it means I have to stay here for a while to do that, then I will. I don't know if that makes much sense though."_

"_I can understand how you feel. I'm… I'm glad that you are here though, Aria." Merlin blushed, "If you do have to stay here in this time, I will stay by your side."_

_Aria's eyes opened in surprise and Merlin blushed even further._

"_Y-you know, as a friend." Merlin added, tumbling over his words in embarrassment._

_Aria felt her heart drop slightly, "Oh, of course. Thank you, Merlin." _

_Merlin's hands were trembling slightly from his nerves, so he hid them swiftly behind his back before Aria could see, "Yes. Um. I better go and get Arthur ready for bed. Yes. Um… bye Aria!"_

_Merlin waved at Aria and then ran out of the room. _

Aria smiled at the memory and stared dreamily off into space. _Even if he meant it as a friend, it was wonderful to hear him say he will stay by my side. And you never know, maybe one day he could come to care for me in that way._

Ever since Merlin had handed her the empty books, she had started to capture the events that had already happened, starting from when she had woken up in the forest, right up until present day.

Aria also wanted to capture her feelings about Merlin and their interactions, but was worried others would be able to read the information. As such, she had asked Merlin if there was a spell to help her lock unwanted people from reading her journals. He had managed to find a spell which would, to an unwanted reader, show the book to be empty, but to Aria alone, the book would be useable and her information readable.

It had taken some time to get used to writing with a quill, but Gaius had helped her practice until her writing was mostly legible.

Sighing, Aria bit the tip of her quill and finished of her research entry for that day. Quickly pocketing the book and putting the quill back in a pot on Gaius's desk, she walked over to the window. Outside, the streets were packed with people preparing for Samhain. From what she could gather from Gaius and Merlin, the closest representation there was of Samhain in her time was Halloween. Aria had always liked Halloween, it always seemed one of the more fun festivities, and, as far as she could tell, the people of Camelot also loved it. Everyone seemed to be preparing something for the day, not matter how small the contribution.

Aria had been helping Gaius prepare anti-sickness potions for the morning after the festivities, for what Aria could only assume was for hangovers. In total, they had prepared over two hundred bottles of the potion, surprising Aria. When querying the high number of bottles, Gaius had replied that he was concerned it may not be enough, and they had gotten to work on producing another fifty more bottles.

Wiping her brow, Aria sighed and turned away from the window. _I am really looking forward to the festivities tonight. I'm so excited! Arthur said I could stand along the sides with Gaius and enjoy the food and drink, but I think Merlin has to wait on Arthur still, which is a shame. But maybe I can grab some time to talk to him more. I've managed to talk to him quite a lot since the forest incident, but it's still remained relatively friendly and I haven't gotten any vibes that he likes me in a romantic way. Hmm… maybe I'm being too optimistic and pushy. Oh well, at least he seems to enjoy spending time with me as a friend. After all, he wouldn't have spent a lot of his free time showing me around Camelot, right? _

Aria sighed again and slumped on a nearby stool. _I'm so tired, making potions is incredibly draining. And spending most of the night helping to write Arthur's speech probably didn't help either._

Gaius looked up from where he was sat, "Aria, would you be able to get me six garlic cloves from the kitchens please? I seem to have run out."

Aria looked up and smiled, "Of course, Gaius. Hopefully cook won't get mad at me again!"

Gaius chuckled, "Hopefully not. You can always ask Merlin to get it for you, she seems to have a soft spot for him. Goodness knows why."

Aria laughed, "I'll bear that in mind."

Standing up, Aria left Gaius's chambers and headed for the kitchens. Over the last few weeks, she had gotten to know the castle fairly well and could make her way from the courtyard to several key places that she visited the most, such as the kitchen, Gaius's chambers and the library.

Walking down one busy hallway, Aria dodged out of the way of lots of castle staff who were hurtling down the corridor as if they were on a mission.

"Whoa!" She jumped to the side as she nearly got taken out by a guy holding a tray.

_People are going crazy for this festival!_

Aria started to climb the stairs which led to the kitchens when she heard a familiar voice sound behind her and then nearly fell flat on her face as someone bumped into her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I was in a rush… Aria!" Merlin was stood holding onto her arm, which thankfully prevented her from completely splatting herself on the stairs.

"Er, hi Merlin. In a rush by any chance?" She replied sarcastically.

"I'm _really_ sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you." He rubbed the back of his head with his hand, "I have to get Arthur's shirt, you know he can't dress himself and I'm already late today…"

Aria smiled, _he's so clumsy, but that adds to his charm somehow._

"That's alright Merlin. I'll forgive you this once."

"Thanks Aria! I must be off, catch you later." Merlin gave her one more grin, then pelted up the stairs.

Aria laughed and shook her head, before continuing up the stairs. As she reached the top, saw Merlin running into the kitchens in the far distance. _Why is Arthur's shirt in the kitchen?_

Seconds later, Merlin was running back out of the kitchen, white shirt in hand.

Aria looked right and noticed a man carrying a jug of wine running straight for Merlin. She reached out her hand and began to shout _'Merlin!',_ but it was too late, they collided and red wine splashed all over Arthur's shirt.

Aria couldn't help but choke back a snort of laughter at Merlin's face. He looked like it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. _Oh Aria, that's mean. But he just looks so cute! Yes, but you're being mean! Oh God, I'm talking to myself._

Walking over to where Merlin stood, she noticed that Sir Lancelot had already reached him and was joking about how Merlin was going to fix the stain.

"Good morning, Aria." Sir Lancelot gave a small nod, "Sorry I can't stay long, have a lovely day."

Aria smiled at him, "Thank you Lancelot, you too."

Smiling, Lancelot turned around and carried on walking. _Lancelot's really nice. When I first met him I thought he was going to be evil because in the tales I knew of, he and Gwen betrayed Arthur by getting together. But he seemed really sweet and even though he cares for Gwen, I don't think he'd do anything to betray her or Arthur._

Turning to Merlin, Aria joked, "I'm sure someone as inventive as yourself can think of a way to vanish that stain."

Merlin grinned, then turned around and mumbled under his breath. Turning back, he showed Aria a clean shirt, any sign of the stain that had been there a moment ago, removed.

"Thanks Aria. See you later – enjoy the festivities!" Merlin wave at her a second time and then ran off down the hall towards Arthur's chambers.

Shaking her head and laughing, Aria made her way to the kitchens.

_It's like a madhouse in here._ The kitchen was packed full of people and food and cook was shaking her first at the ceiling. _Why on earth…?_

Hesitantly stepping forward, Aria decided it was best to slip in, grab the garlic and make her way back to Gaius's unseen. Creeping to the store cupboard near the back, aria slipped in.

"Now, where are those garlics…" Aria searched around for a few moments, before finally spotting a basket of garlic near the window.

"Ah-hah!" She bent down and started picking six of the larger garlics out.

Happy with her pick, she wrapped them in a cloth so she could carry them more easily and slipped back into the chaos. Dodging frantic staff, Aria managed to worm her way back into the corridor where she leant against the wall with a _'phew!'_

_The kitchens are so hot, how can they stand to run around like that? Eurgh, I feel all clammy as well from the steam. Oh well, I'm sure the food will be delicious tonight, I can't wait! If that's one amazing thing about coming back in time, is that the food is super organic and free range! It tastes absolutely delicious._

Rubbing some sweat off her brow, Aria decided to go via the courtyard to Gaius's to get some fresh air.

Stepping into the courtyard, Aria gulped in a huge breath of fresh air. _That's more like it._

"Make way!" Aria's eyes flicked towards the sound and she noticed some of Arthur's knights riding at speed through the courtyard in front of her.

Noticing the worry on their faces, Aria immediately bit her lip. _Don't tell me Morgana has made her move._

Unable to quell her curiosity, Aria followed the knights as they descended their horses and made their way to the council room. As she entered the room, she noticed Gaius and Merlin were already there and standing off to the side. She snuck around the edge of the room and joined Merlin on his right.

"Psst. Merlin, what's happened?"

Merlin jumped slightly at Aria's sudden presence, "They say they've seen Morgana."

Merlin looked concerned and Aria felt her mouth turn down in a frown. _I had a feeling she was behind his. _

Looking ahead, Aria noticed Arthur looked a bit sick. _Poor Arthur. After all this time and Morgana is still like a plague to him. Interesting, his shirt is red not white, but wasn't Merlin taking him a white shirt? Aria, focus on the issue at hand!_

Flicking her eyes to Gaius, she pulled a '_why now'_ face, and Gaius shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. _So Gaius doesn't know why, either. I feel like something bad is going to happen._

"Merlin, I can't help but feel… well, like something bad is going to happen. I can't explain it, but something doesn't feel right."

Merlin looked grim, "I know what you mean; I have the same feeling as well. Like a heavy weight in the pit of my stomach."

Aria nodded, "Yeah. Me too. What do you think it could mean? What could she be up to?"

"I have no idea. But one thing is for certain, we must keep alert for any possible sign of attack."

"Mmm."

Gaius turned towards them, "Aria, we should head back and continue making our potions. Merlin, you should stay with Arthur – try to encourage him to enjoy the festivities this evening."

Merlin sighed, "I'll try Gaius, but I'm worried about Morgana as well."

"So am I. Aria and I will look and see if we can help Arthur and the knights prepare for this evening."

"Thank you Gaius."

Aria nodded in affirmation, "We'll see what we can find Merlin, don't worry."

"Thank you."

Merlin smiled at Aria before following Arthur out of the council room.

Aria turned to Gaius and held up the garlic, "Got them, Gaius."

"Brilliant, thank you Aria. Let's continue, shall we?"

Nodding, Aria followed Gaius out of the council room.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Later that night, the festival of Samhain began in the main hall of the castle. Aria was stood next to Gaius, smiling at the festivities happening in front of her.

_Everyone looks so happy, you wouldn't know anything had happened earlier on today._

Looking over to her right, Aria noticed Gwen serving wine on the far table. Gwen looked up and caught Aria's eye. She smiled at her and gave a little wave. Aria smiled back and waved in return. Aria turned and looked at Arthur, and noticed that he had his eyes fixed on Gwen as well.

_Poor Arthur, you can tell he really wants Gwen to be sitting next to him at the head table. Gwen must also wish for that. I don't know why they can't just get together, I mean, they do in the legends, so surely there must be some way?_

Aria was broken out of her thoughts by Arthur standing up and signalling for his speech. She turned and grinned at Merlin, as both of them had spent the night writing this speech and she hoped it would sound good.

Aria stifled a yawn. _That explains why I'm feeling so tired today. Damn speech, I wonder how Merlin manages to fit everything Arthur asks of him in. I guess his magic helps._

During his speech, Aria flicked her eyes back at Gwen and smiled. _She looks happy._

Merlin gently poked her in the side and Aria jumped up. She blushed when she realised it was time to toast the King, and nodded her thanks at Merlin.

Aria took a sip of her wine and grimaced. _God, I completely forgot how potent ye old wine is – this must be ten times as strong as modern day wine. I must be careful not to get too drunk._

Suddenly, a cold feeling washed over Aria. _Hmm that's weird, normally it's a warm rush from alcohol…_

Turning to her left, she noticed that Merlin was stood unnaturally still and his eyes looked unfocused. Then, he started to sway on the spot, beads of sweat dripping down his face. Aria was about to reach out to him when she felt a strange hum pass through the air and through her body. _What? This is like the time I was clubbing at Ministry of Sound and the base resonated through my every molecule. Eurgh…_

Gripping her head, Aria felt herself start to sway. Looking again at Merlin, she reached out to him.

"Mer- Merlin…"

Merlin's eyes remained unfocused – he hadn't heard her.

"Emrys…" Aria's eyes opened in shock, _where did that voice come from? It's creepy. So cold… _

"Be aware, future Aria. He is your destiny, but do not forget your purpose here and the power that you hold. Others will try to take it from you."

**CLATTER**

Aria jumped and looked again at Merlin.

"Merlin!" Aria bent down and gently lifted him off the floor. _He's out cold._

"Aria, what happened?" Gaius bent down and immediately started checking Merlin's vitals.

"I- I don't know. One minute he was alright, then there was this… hum in the air, and then…" Aria petered off, noticing that Gaius was giving her a silencing look. Aria nodded, _he must not want me to mention magic in front of everyone. _

Arthur ran over, "Gaius, what happened?"

"I'm not sure, my Lord. I will take him back to my chambers to treat him. Don't worry I do not fear there will be any long term effects."

Arthur sighed, "Did he drink too much wine again?"

Aria raised her eyebrow and Gaius chuckled, "Perhaps, my Lord." He turned to see Lancelot was knelt by him, "May I please request Sir Lancelot's help in carrying Merlin back to my chambers?"

Arthur nodded, "Of course. Lancelot, please help Gaius with Merlin."

Lancelot nodded, "Sire."

Lancelot picked Merlin up and quickly strode towards the exit of the hall, with Gaius and Aria following, worried frowns planted on their faces.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Eurgh, my head." Merlin sat up and gingerly rubbed his head.

_It's throbbing, ever since that – that elderly lady appeared and spoke to me. Who was she? I must speak to Gaius immediately._

Merlin turned his head left and was just about to swing his legs over the edge of the bed when he noticed a weigh pushing against his left side. Looking down, he blushed when he realised Aria was asleep in a chair by his bed and had fallen asleep with her hands almost on his lap.

Merlin gently moved her hands out of the way so he could get out of bed. As their fingers touched, he felt a jolt of electricity pass through him. He paused when Aria shifted in her sleep and mumbled something unintelligible.

Merlin sighed. _She has small bandages on most of her fingers from where she's been working too hard. If she keeps this up, her current cuts will never heal. I'll talk to Gaius about this, maybe he can stop her from working so hard that her hands are getting chaffed and cut. Though, knowing Aria, she likely brushed away his concerns so she could focus on potion making._

Merlin saw a stray strand of hair had come lose and was being blown up and down with the little puffs of air Aria was making as she was sleeping. He gently reached forward and tucked it behind her ear. On impulse, he leant down and gently kissed the top of her head.

Blushing, Merlin jerked away, _what am I doing?! Where did that come from? What if she had woken up? What if someone had seen?_

Looking around in a slight panic, Merlin breathed a sigh of relief when he realised they were alone. Figuring it was too dangerous to stay around her like this any longer, he stood up and lifted Aria onto the bed, so that she was lying more comfortably. He saw her smile slightly in her sleep and sigh in contentment. Merlin quietly made his way down the stairs into Gaius's main chamber.

_She looked exhausted earlier, so I should leave her to sleep. _

"Gaius?"

"Oh, you're finally awake." Gaius looked up from his book and made his way over to Merlin. "How are you feeling, Merlin?"

"Still a bit shaky, but a lot better than earlier."

Gaius smiled, "And Aria?"

"I left her asleep so she could rest."

Nodding, Gaius replied, "Good idea. I fear she has been working too hard recently."

"Gaius, what happened to me? Who was the elderly lady I saw?"

Gaius looked thoughtful, "From my research, I believe she is the Cailleach, and you seeing her does not bode well for Camelot's future."

"Did no one else see her?" Merlin was surprised, _why was I the only one? Is it because I have magic?_

"No. But Aria heard her."

Merlin's eyes widened, "She did?"

"Yes, although she didn't see her."

"What did she hear?" _Was it the same as me?_

"The Cailleach mentioned Emrys and told Aria she knew she was from the future. She also mentioned that Aria should be wary as others seek to use her power."

Merlin considered this for a moment. "Her power?"

"I believe this could relate to her knowledge of the future. If used for evil, it could have devastating consequences."

Merlin nodded, "Of course. This also ties into the prophecy."

"Indeed."

Both men sat in silence for a while, contemplating what had happened.

Merlin broke the silence first, "I wonder why Aria was the only other person to feel her presence? She doesn't have magic, so why?"

"After considering the prophecy for some time, I believe you two are deeply connected somehow. Aria is very important for the future of Camelot."

"I think you may be right."

Merlin and Gaius lapsed into silence again.

"_Merlin!" _Merlin jumped and looked up.

Aria was stood in the doorway to his room, rubbing her eyes and glaring in his general direction. He laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Why didn't you wake me up? I've been worried _sick_ about you! Did you know you went ice cold? I thought you were dead! You wouldn't wake up, you wouldn't react to any potions I made for you. You idiot! You should have woken me up immediately!" Aria had her hands on her hips now and she was fuming.

Merlin balked, "I'm so sorry Aria. You're right of course, I wasn't thinking. I should have woken you up, but you looked like you needed some sleep, so I didn't want to wake you…" He broke off when he noticed she'd raised her eyebrow and still didn't look particularly happy.

Next to him, Gaius sighed.

"So, you're saying I looked tired. Was it that dreadful and obvious?"

Merlin gulped slightly, "Er. Um. A little. I-I mean no! No it wasn't!"

Aria growled and stomped towards him. "Don't make me worry about you like that again!"

Merlin stood up and walked over to her and engulfed her in a hug. At first she was tense, evidently still upset about Merlin's unresponsiveness to treatment, but after a few moments, he heard her sigh and relax in his arms. Slowly, he could feel her arms reach up and grab the back of his shirt.

_She fits me perfectly._

"I really am sorry Aria. Please, forgive me?"

He pulled away and looked into her beautiful green eyes. _I'm so close, I could kiss her. Just like that time in the forest… I wish I'd kissed her then – I wonder how she would have reacted. Maybe she would be courting me now, but then again, maybe she would have rebuked me._

That feeling of fear of rejection shot through Merlin like a lightning bolt and he immediately pulled away from her.

_Did she just looked disappointed? Maybe I'm starting to see things._

Aria sighed, "Alright, I'll forgive you."

"I promise next time to wake you up immediately."

Aria rolled her eyes, "Don't let there be a next time!"

Merlin gave a small laugh, "I'll try."

Gaius another sigh, "Sorry to interrupt you both, but should we continue our research into what the events of this evening bode for the future?"

Aria and Merlin blushed and nodded in agreement.

_This could be a long night._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria was walking through the courtyard with some blankets folded up in her arms. Leaning her chin on them, she huffed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

_Washing clothes and sheets is so much harder here than in the future. I'll never complain about using a washing machine again. Well, that's if I ever go back._

Looking up, Aria noticed a frail young woman running into the courtyard, tears flying down her face, her hair a mess beneath the material that held it in place.

Aria frowned, concern washing over her. _Please tell me this isn't something related to that elderly lady last night. The Cailleach I think Gaius called her._

Rushing after the young woman, Aria placed the blankets behind a suit of armour in the corridor. _Right, now they're out of my way, where did she go?_

Jogging towards the main council room, Aria noticed that the woman had been stopped by a small group of knights. She was sobbing uncontrollably as the knights asked her lots of questions.

Aria sighed, _men, sometimes they really don't know how to handle women. Like questioning her when she's evidently upset isn't going to help. Though I suppose they have to query these situations when a random person makes their way into the heart of the castle, especially since we've had news that Morgana could be on the move._

Aria walked up and gently laid her hand on the woman's shoulder. _She's a lot smaller than she looked in the courtyard. _

The woman jerked away from her touch and spun around to face Aria. "O-oh, I-I'm s-s-sorry, I didn't mean to pull away like that."

Aria smiled kindly at her, "That's alright, don't worry. You're upset and scared." She gave a pointed look at the knights, "Do you want to talk about it?"

The woman sniffed and more tears leaked out of her eyes.

"B-b-but, what if-if they come back? I-I don't know what to d-do." The woman started shaking and Aria wrapped her arms around her and gently started rubbing her back, whilst saying, 'there, there'

_I don't know if this is 'proper' in this time, but it always helped me to calm down. And she's a human and a girl right? So regardless of time, it should still work. Well, knowing this time maybe she isn't human… anyway._

Sure enough, after a few moments, the woman's sobs subsided and Aria could feel her taking gulps of air, trying to calm herself down.

When she was more or less breathing normally, Aria gently pushed away from her and looked into her eyes, "Are you feeling better now?"

The woman nodded, "Thank you. T-that really helped."

_She's still shaky, but that's to be expected as it seems she's had a great shock._

Aria smiled, "That always helps me when I'm upset too. Did you want to talk about what happened?"

"Y-yes." Taking a deep breath, the woman began, "It was no one, they had no face. W-wait, let me start again, sorry, my mind feels all jumbled."

"That's alright, don't worry. Take your time." _Though I really want to know what happened!_

"My village was attacked and – and they killed everybody. I only managed to escape because m-my father distracted them. They only came at night, and I managed to get away as daylight approached."

The frown on Aria's face grew deeper, "Who were they?"

"They were no one, they had no face. They were frightening. They were just shapes, moving through the air so fast. Everyone they touched turned to ice. They all died. I-I'm the only one left."

The woman had started to shake again.

"Thank you for sharing this with me – sorry, I didn't ask for your name."

"It's Drea."

"Thank you Drea." Aria looked up at the knights, who shared similar looks of concern. "I think it best Drea talks to Ar- Prince Arthur immediately."

The knights nodded and Sir Leon stepped forward, "Please follow me into the council room and we can relay your tale to the Prince."

Drea looked slightly frightened at this and turned towards Aria as if asking her what to do.

Aria smiled encouragingly, "Don't worry, Prince Arthur will listen to what you have to say. I'll stand next to you."

Nodding, Drea took a deep breath and turned towards Leon, "Y-yes, please take me to Prince Arthur."

Lean gave a quick nod of his head and turned around to let everyone into the council room.

As they entered, Aria saw Gaius and Merlin were already there. _At least they can hear what's happened straight from the horse's mouth as well. I'll have to speak to them after, to see what we can do about this – whatever this is._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria was not happy. She was storming around Gaius's chambers in a foul mood.

"Aria, dear. Do calm down, you know that Merlin will be alright."

"Gaius, he's only just gotten better, and now he's back out there with Arthur, facing God knows what! From what Drea explained, those, those, well those _ghosts_ sound dreadful! How can I calm down?"

Walking over to her, Gaius laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He will be alright, Aria. Arthur and the knights will be there as well. Besides, Merlin has his magic, it has never failed him before."

Aria's shoulders drooped, "That's what I'm worried about. He relies too much on magic, but these things - _dorocha_ you said I think - they sound dreadful. What if they are too strong for him? What if they attack him before he can react?"

Aria felt the panic bubbling up in her stomach again. _I can't just sit here and wait for him to get hurt, or even worse, killed._

"I know you are worried about him, but I promise you he will be alright."

Aria sighed, "Sorry for getting worked up Gaius. I- I just don't want anything to happen to him. Or Arthur and the others of course."

Gaius chuckled, "Of course. Maybe you should get some rest? It may help alleviate your nerves."

Aria nodded and was about to reply when she heard screams and wailing coming from outside. Shooting a surprised look at Gaius, she ran towards the window and looked outside. Gasping, she saw what looked like white smudges flying around the courtyard, and when they passed through someone, that person dropped down and became very still.

Pulling away from the window in shock, she turned towards Gaius, "They're here."

Gaius's face registered from shocked to determined. "We must go. There will be injuries."

Aria grabbed her bag and started throwing in some potions. _Wound healing, calming potions, wait- Drea mentioned they were very cold. I must get warming potions and potions to cure frostbite._

With a full bag, Aria grabbed a nearby torch, "Let's go."

Gaius nodded grimly and followed Aria out, torch and bag also in hand.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

"Watch out Gwen!" Aria shouted and began to run towards her friend.

Gwen turned and started waving her torch at the flying ghost-like thing that was making its way towards her. The fire cut through the _dorocha_, it vanished with a shriek.

Aria reached Gwen and looked at her, a knowing look passing between the two. _Fire is effective in getting rid of them._

Knowing what they must do, they took off down separate corridors to warn the knights to light fire walls around civilians for protection.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria sighed and rubbed her arm across her forehead, wiping off the sweat and grime that had accumulated there overnight.

Sunlight had started to break at dawn, and the _dorocha_ had returned from wherever they had come from, vanishing as the sun's rays hit them. The fire had proven effective at keeping them away, but it seemed it did nothing to diminish their numbers. The attack was relentless and Gaius and Aria had been running about all night trying to heal people and prevent attacks.

It had so far been impossible to revive someone who had been hit by a _dorocha_.

Aria stared down at her bracelet. _Even when he's not here, Merlin gives me strength. I thought I was going to collapse so many times last night, but I kept going. Oh, dammit I left the blankets behind that suit of armour. Oh well._

Gaius walked up to Aria, "Well done, Aria. We kept a lot of the monsters from attacking the people of Camelot. You need to rest, I'll take it from here."

Having no energy left to argue, Aria nodded and made her way to Gwen's house. Walking over to her bed, she collapsed onto it and fell into a deep sleep.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria woke to someone gently tapping her on her arm.

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes to allow them to adjust to the light. She looked up and into Gwen's face.

"Aria, I'm so sorry to wake you, but we must begin to make our way to the castle. Night is nearly upon us."

"Has it been an entire day already? I feel like I only just closed my eyes."

Gwen nodded, "You were out cold, I was worried at one point that you had fallen unconscious."

"Sorry Gwen, I was so tired I must have fallen into a deep sleep. Thank you for waking me, let me quickly go to the toilet and get ready and I'll be there."

Running around getting ready, Aria grabbed her medicine bag and joined Gwen by the front door of her house.

"Let's go." Gwen nodded solemnly and together they made their way to the castle.

As they were nearing the courtyard, Gwen gasped.

Aria turned towards her, "Is everything alright Gwen?"

"They're back!"

Taking off at full speed, Gwen ran towards a group of knights near the main entrance of the castle. Flicking her eyes over them, Aria noticed the familiar necktie of one certain man. _Merlin. He's alright._

Joining Gwen in her run towards the entrance, Aria saw Merlin break off from the knights and make his way over to Gaius, so she changed course and joined them.

Reaching him, Aria hugs him from behind, "You're safe."

Merlin froze in her arms and didn't react to her hug. Aria immediately let him go.

_Argh, that's what I get for assuming he's friendly with me. But I thought he would at least react in some way. Like a hello? Or maybe a hug in return? I think I'm expecting far too much. Again, this proves why I never bothered with guys back in my time. Too bloody complicated._

"S-sorry Merlin, I was just happy to see you were…" She petered off when she saw the look on Merlin's face as he turned around to face her. He looked terrified.

"Aria. I'm sorry. I-I, I can't, I mean, can we all talk inside?"

Fear struck Aria in her very core and she felt an unusual ice cold sensation wash over her. _What's happened? Is Arthur alright?_

Turning around she saw Arthur was stood by Gwen. Aria sighed in relief.

The three of them swiftly made their way back to Gaius's chambers.

Gaius was the first to speak, "Merlin, what happened?"

"It's my magic. It won't work. It's not there. It's gone."

Aria gasped, "WHAT?"

Gaius looked shocked, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I tried and it failed. It's never failed me before Gaius."

Merlin's face drooped and he collapsed on a nearby stool, his head in his hands.

Aria was shocked, "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry."

Merlin looked up at her, "Was this mentioned in your time?"

Aria shook her head, "No, there was never any mention of this. If there was, I would have told you."

"Sorry, I-I'm in shock. I didn't meant to sound like I was accusing you of not warning me."

Aria sat next to Merlin and laid a hand on his shoulder, "I didn't take it like that, don't worry." She looked up at Gaius, who shared the same look of concern on his face, "We must look into why this has happened, but for now, we should prepare a fire boundary as it's nearly nightfall."

Gaius nodded, "Yes, I agree. Merlin, it would be wise if you stayed close to one of us tonight."

Merlin nodded, "I think I need to stay with Arthur, he wants me to find him again soon. I'm sorry. I feel so, so useless." He rested his head in his hands again.

Aria felt the weight in her stomach growing larger. _I don't know what to say or do. How can I tell him it'll be alright? His magic is gone. I'm the one that's useless. _

After a few moments, Merlin stood up and turned towards Aria, "Aria, be safe. Keep a torch on you at all times, alright?"

She nodded dumbly at him.

Turning towards Gaius, Merlin continued, "Gaius, please keep an eye on Aria, and you too must keep a torch on you at all times."

"I will, Merlin, you have my word."

Merlin nodded, "Thank you. I must go find Arthur. I dread to think what plan he has to get rid of these monsters."

Heading out the front door, Merlin turned around and gave a reassuring glance at Aria. Aria smiled back, and gave a small wave. _It's like he's trying to reassure himself. I hope he'll be alright. This is making me even more worried than I was before._

A scream sounded from the courtyard. Aria turned and shot a worried glance at Gaius. "We better go."

A blast of cold wind blew through Gaius's chambers and blew out a few of the candles lit in the nearby corner. Gaius pursed his lips and Aria gasped.

"Oh no. I saw a TV show about this once, expect it was with a salt circle and the wind blew some of it away, allowing the ghosts to pass through."

Gaius raised an eyebrow at her.

"S-sorry. I just mean, we better go. Quickly. If these dorocha can learn, they may be able to use the wind to blow out smaller flames. We need big flames – let's use bigger torches tonight."

Gaius nodded, "That is a wise conclusion, Aria."

Aria grabbed two nearby torches and lit them using the fire burning to the left of her, "Let's go."

With that, Aria and Gaius hurried out of the door, medicine bags and torches in hand.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

As the morning rays broke over the top of Camelot's walls, Aria sighed in relief.

_Another night over._

Hurrying over to Gaius, she helped him pick up yet another unfortunately victim of the _dorocha_.

_Despite every measure, they still find ways to attack us. Now that they can blow out some of the flames, a lot of people are becoming vulnerable. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up. There you go Aria, you just had to wish for an adventure didn't you? You should know that adventures are never like the fantasy movies you watch at home. There's no guarantee you'll survive – or Merlin and the people you care about. The main characters could all be killed off in one foul swoop. This is dangerous and has cost countless lives already. _

Aria shuddered involuntarily, _I mustn't think these thoughts. I have to focus._

Aria continued to work with Gaius for another hour before collapsing on a stool in his chambers, completely exhausted.

Moments later Gaius walked in and sat opposite Aria. He was looking straight at her, a grim expression on her face.

For the umpteenth time that day, Aria felt her stomach drop and a cold dread climb up her throat.

"What's happened?" Her voice came out scratchy and tired.

"Arthur plans to sacrifice himself to save the citizens of Camelot."

All the colour drained from Aria's face. "He plans to _what?!_"

"And that's not all. I fear Merlin intends to take his place."

Aria didn't imagine that she could get any paler, but upon hearing this news, she realised it was possible.

"W-_what?!_"

Gaius looked sad, whilst Aria sat there, her mouth hanging open in shock.

Snapping it closed, she exclaimed, "But he can't! He'll be killed! And besides, sacrificing a life may not work!"

"Unfortunately I believe it will. The Cailleach was summoned and the veil between the living and the dead torn, because a life was sacrificed."

"Is there nothing we can do? To stop Merlin _and _Arthur?"

"Their minds have been made up. I don't think there is anything we can do."

Aria thought for a moment, "Maybe not you, Gaius. But for me, I can do something."

Gaius snapped his head up, "What do you mean Aria?"

_Gwen would be destroyed if anything happened to Arthur. They are meant to be together, they haven't even courted properly yet. So Arthur is not yet meant to die. I must do something, I can't let him sacrifice himself. And Merlin, I won't let anything happen to him either. I care for him too much, I just can't…_

Aria looked grim and Gaius immediately understood, "No, Aria. You must not. I promised Merlin I would protect you."

"What if this is my purpose for being here Gaius? Cailleach even spoke to me- don't you think that is a sign?"

"I do not know. But Aria, you cannot go. Promise me you won't."

"Gaius, I'm sorry. I don't think I can promise that."

"Aria-"

Aria stood up and laid a hand on Gaius's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Gaius, but please, I must stop Merlin and Arthur. This is something only I can do. Thank you for being there for me these past few weeks. I don't know what I would have done without you. Really, thank you so much."

Before Gaius could reply, Aria grabbed her bag and journals and bolted out of the door.

"ARIA!" Gaius shouted after her, but she was already gone.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria ran as fast as her legs could carry her back to Gwen's house.

_I need to get some provisions. Merlin and everyone will set off soon, so I must be close enough to follow. I slept yesterday all day, so I should be fine for a little while without sleep. Hell, Maria does this all the time so I should be fine, right?_

Shaking her head, Aria continued running down the winding halls.

Suddenly, someone appeared in front of her and before she could properly slow down, she ran into them.

"Oof!" Aria felt like she'd hit a brick wall.

"My Lady, are you alright?"

Looking up, Aria gasped. _Lord Agravaine, Arthur's uncle! _

"S-sire! I'm so sorry, I have been incredibly rude. I'm so sorry." _Dammit, isn't this like a crime of some sort?_

Agravaine chucked, "It's quite alright. I must apologise as well, for I was not looking where I was going."

Aria was surprised, _I've never spoken to him before, but he seems quite nice._

"Thank you, sire."

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Agravaine was looking at her, concern in his eyes.

Suddenly, Aria felt a jolt of warning rush through her veins. _What was that? It's like his eyes are cold, yet they also look warm. I can't quite work it out._

"Um. Well, I thought I'd go get some more ingredients for Gaius – to help him out." _Why am I lying?_

"I see. Would you care for me to accompany you?"

"Oh, it's quite alright sire, I know you must be busy with other things."

"But my Lady, you mustn't walk around outside of the walls without someone to accompany you."

"I normally do, honestly it's no bother."

Agravaine looked thoughtful, "I see. Well, as long as you are careful. Remember there can be some nasty men outside of Camelot's walls. You don't want to be bumping into them."

Although Agravaine was smiling sounded like he was concerned for her welfare, Aria still couldn't shake the strange feeling that had come over her. _I don't trust him one bit. I don't know why, but I don't. I'll have to tell Gaius… I almost forgot, I might not see him again. I'll tell Merlin when I catch up to him._

Aria put on a fake smile that she hoped was convincing, "Thank you sire. That's awfully kind of you."

Agravaine seemed to fall for it and he beamed at her, "Very good. See you later, Aria."

Aria smiled, gave a small bow and made on her way.

_His smile seemed to have some other meaning behind it. I better be careful. Wait, how did he know my name? I'm someone unimportant in the castle, there's no reason he should know my name. Hmmm, maybe I'm being paranoid. I am Gaius's apprentice after all…_

Shaking her head, Aria continued on to Gwen's house, concerned thoughts about Agravaine's intentions plaguing her mind.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria had gathered together some essentials and was making her way to the stables. As she approached, she notice Merlin packing his stuff into a bag on the saddle of his horse.

"Merlin!"

He looked up and smiled slightly at her, "Hi, Aria."

Sudden irritation bubbled in her stomach, "Were you planning on going without telling me?"

Merlin looked into her eyes, "Of course not. I went to Gaius's and he said you'd left. I was about to load up my horse, then come and find you."

The irritation quelled and Aria felt her anger deflate, "Oh, OK. Sorry, I keep snapping at you recently."

"It's alright, it's been a stressful time."

"Yes… Merlin, are you going to sacrifice yourself instead of Arthur?"

Merlin's hands paused putting some food into the saddle bag, "Did Gaius tell you that?"

"Well, yes. But it's rather obvious. I would have guessed it even if he hadn't have told me."

"I have to. It is my destiny to prevent Arthur's death."

Aria shook her head and moved closer to him, "But Merlin, your magic is powerless against these things, so maybe you accompanying him on this journey is not the wisest decision?"

"Aria, I have to go. It is my destiny. I can't let Arthur go into this alone."

Aria sighed, _I thought he might say that._

"Look, maybe this is something I have to do? After all, I have my own prophecy, which clearly starts I'm meant to do something to prevent Arthur's downfall and to help you. To prevent any more bloodshed - well, there's been enough deaths since the _dorocha_ appeared, so it seems to be matching my prophecy pretty well."

Merlin looked up in surprise, "_No,_ whatever you're thinking Aria, just _no_."

Aria put her hand on her hip and gave a little growl, "What, so you're allowed to run off and sacrifice yourself, but I'm not?"

"You know what I mean-"

"No, Merlin. I don't. I mean, what if this was caused by me? I don't know! Maybe this is bigger than me, but I can't let you die, I won't."

Merlin raised his voice, "I won't let you die either, Aria. I won't allow it!"

Aria and Merlin stood facing each other, time seemingly frozen around them as they stared into each other's eyes.

Aria didn't notice someone walking up behind her, or notice that Merlin's eyes flicked to that person for the briefest of moments.

"Goodbye Aria, please be safe." Merlin reached up and placed his right hand on her cheek, his thumb gently caressing the side of her face. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known, on the inside and the out."

Aria felt her heart stop. _What does he plan to-_

A pair of arms circled around her and held her in place as Merlin jumped on his horse. Merlin quickly nodded in thanks at the stranger behind her and took off towards the castle where Arthur and the knights were waiting.

"W-what? Merlin! Merlin, come back!"

Trying to turn around, Aria growled at whoever was holding on to her.

"Calm down, Aria. Please."

Recognising the voice, Aria exclaimed, "Lancelot! What are you doing? Let me go! Don't you know what Merlin is planning to do? I can't let him do that! I can't!"

Lancelot held on tight. Aria wasn't getting away.

"I'm sorry Aria. I promised Merlin I would prevent you from doing this."

Aria growled again, "Bloody Merlin and his promises." Realising she wasn't getting away, she eventually calmed down, her anger being replaced by the sudden realisation of what was going to happen. _Merlin is going to die. Willingly._

"I said I'd take you back to Gaius. Will you walk with me?"

Aria felt sobs start to build up in her throat. Before she could help it, tears started pouring out of the corners of her eyes.

"L-Lancelot, h-he's going to die. H-help him."

Lancelot let go of her and turned her round so he could face her. "I'll look out for him Aria, I promise. But for now, please let me take you back to Gaius."

Aria numbly nodded her head and allowed Lancelot to lead her back the way she had some.

_Merlin, please be safe. Don't die. Please._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Later that day, Aria had finally managed to calm down enough that she was able to take a quick nap on Merlin's bed. At first, the pine and spice smell and how he had called her beautiful, had caused a new set of fresh tears to pour out, but eventually, she managed to drift off into a slumber.

_Aria looked down as her bracelet had started to burn her wrist._

"_What's happening? Ow, argh, ow!" Throwing the bracelet off, she saw it clatter away from her, leaving black burn marks on the stones it touched._

_Suddenly, Aria saw a vision in front of her. There was no sound and Aria felt a chill creep up her spine. Aria watched in horror as Merlin walked towards what looked like a black hole. He turned around and looked at Arthur on the floor, sadness painted across his face. Then slowly, he looked up at the sky and his lips moved, but Aria could not make out what he was saying. _

"_No, Merlin – no!" Merlin had turned back around and had started walking again. As he reached the hole, he turned and spoke to the air besides him. Then without a moment's hesitation, he stepped into the hole, floated up and was swallowed by the darkness within._

"NO!" Aria screamed and woke up, sweat dripping down her forehead. Her arms and legs felt clammy and were tangled in Merlin's bed sheets.

Quickly, she tried to climb out of bed to tell Gaius what she had seen. _Did that just happen? Is he dead? Has he gone?_

Looking down at her bracelet, she noticed it was still there and didn't burn. _I still have time._

Looking into Gaius's chamber, she noticed he was not there. Turning back, she grabbed the two pillows and tried to make a person shaped lump in the bed. _God knows if that'll work. It might do – it always seems to in adventure novels._

Shaking her head, she quickly made her way out of the room, grabbing her bag as she went. _I have to follow Merlin. But how? How do I know which direction they went in? _

As Aria frantically ran through the corridors, she noticed a familiar figure up ahead. Hope surged through her and she skidded to a halt.

"Sir George!"

The blonde knight jumped a little bit, "Oh, Lady Aria. Please, it's just George."

"And Aria for me, thank you George." Aria smiled at him, "I'm so glad you're safe."

"As am I for you, La- Aria."

"How have you been since we last met? Are you still taking your medication?"

George smiled kindly at her, "I have a few days left of medicine to take, then I should be fully healed and able to join Prince Arthur on his missions and patrols again."

"That's excellent. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, Aria. Without your help, I would not be alive here today. But something tells me you want something else from me?" He raised his eyebrow at her.

Aria suddenly felt nervous, and not just because George was a hulking 6 foot 4.

"Um…"

"You do not need to fear telling me, I will gladly help you in any way I can."

Aria swallowed, "It's a big ask George, I think – I think too big. Um."

George gently rested a hand on her shoulder, "Please tell me, Aria."

Aria looked up, "It's Mer- Prince Arthur. He's planning to sacrifice himself to save the people of Camelot. But his manservant, Merlin, is planning to sacrifice _himself_ to protect him. I- well, I want to sacrifice _myself_ to protect both of them."

A shocked expression passed over George's face, "But Lady Aria, you can't! You mustn't sacrifice yourself, I won't allow it."

Aria sighed, _it's just Aria… never mind, maybe I should have left that last bit off. Erugh. I'm running out of time._

"George, I'm sorry. I _have_ to go. I can't explain it, but I do. I require some help finding them though, and maybe someone to accompany me, to help me with the _dorocha_."

As she said it, Aria realised how stupid she sounded. _What am I thinking? How can I expect to find them and fight off the __dorocha_ _and save Merlin and Arthur? I'm out of my mind. I never would have done something this stupid back home. But then I suppose this is unlike anything that ever happens back there. I suppose I'm getting my adventure, but it's a shame it's not as glamorous as I'd hoped it to be. Instead it most definitely ends up in my death._

George looked thoughtful, "Sir Patrick, Sir Giles and myself can accompany you - I know where the Prince went." Aria looked up in shock, "I know that even if we don't accompany you, you will still find a way to go, despite everyone's warnings. But- I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself. We will catch up to them and see if together, we can work out another way. No one will be sacrificing themselves - is that understood?"

Aria gasped and threw her arms around George, "_Thank you_ George. Really, thank you so much!"

George blushed a deep shade of red, "O-of course, I'm a knight, I'm here to help serve and protect."

Aria laughed lightly, "We must go. We have to make as much headway as possible before nightfall."

George nodded in return, "Yes. Let me speak to Patrick and Giles and gather together some supplies and torches. I won't be long, please wait for me here."

Aria nodded as George turned and headed towards the knights quarters.

_How did I manage that? _

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin tried to stop his teeth from chattering, but to no avail.

_How did Arthur and I get stuck here without any fire or light? How stupid am I to let this happen? _

_I wonder if Aria is alright. I couldn't bear to turn around and see her shouting after me when I left. I wish I'd had more time to tell her how I felt, but that might have made her feel even worse. I did the most I could with the little time that I had._

Arthur's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He smiled at him, _this is for the best. I have to sacrifice myself for him. He is to be the Once and Future King who unites Albion. This is why I am here._

_I'm sorry Aria._

Hearing a nearby, unearthly scream, Merlin saw a white blur flying towards them. He noticed Arthur reaching for his blade and knew what to do.

Pushing him back, he flung himself forward, ignoring Arthur's shouts.

The last thing he remembered was the ice cold sensation of something truly horrid passing through him.

_Live well, Aria._

And then there was nothing.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria had been travelling with George, Patrick and Giles for two days now, and she felt they were close to where Merlin, Arthur and the knights were. They had decided to share two horses between the four of them, to save the number of lives they would have to protect from the fire. So far, it had worked and none of them – or the horses – had perished.

"We're close, Aria." Patrick called from the front.

"Thank you, I hope we can catch up to them soon."

Aria had left an apologetic note to Gaius explaining what she had done, but still felt terrible about leaving for a second time. _I hope he realises this is something I just had to do. I'm so sorry Gaius._

"Be careful, here they come again!"

Jumping down from their horses, they created a circle, their torches at the ready.

After fending them off for some time, Aria's arm started to itch. Looking down, she gently scratched beneath the metal of her bracelet. _I must have some dirt caught beneath there. Typical._

After a few more minutes though, the itch became more intense and then it started to burn.

Aria gasped in shock.

"Aria, are you alright?" George shot her a concerned glance, before slicing his torch through another _dorocha_.

"N- NO! It can't be. No! Merlin!" Aria's bracelet had started to burn even more and she cried out in pain. Then, the pain suddenly stopped and the burning sensation ended.

Collapsing onto her knees, her torch fell from her hand and she slumped forward, defeated.

Aria knew.

Merlin was dead.

**A/N – Hope you liked this massively long chapter - Phew, that took a while to write! Let me know what you think – I found it challenging to match it to the episode without actually copying it directly, so hopefully you all enjoyed it ^.^ Please leave a review for me :D I'd really love it ^.^ **

**Also, I'm on holiday for a week, so my next chapter release will be a bit later than usual. Though hopefully this really long chapter has made up for that! hehe**


	11. Chapter 11: Reunited

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Merlin'. I only own OC characters!

**Rating:** T for language & fight scenes.

**A/N- Please note - You will still be able to follow this story without knowing the TV episodes **

**A/N-** Thank you SO much **TheWickedHeart **for your review! Thank you also to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or added it as a favourite :)

**A/N- **Aw not so many reviews for the last chapter, hope you all enjoyed it though!Please leave a review for me ^.^

**Thank you to my fantastic beta GemStoneLovely :)**

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

**Chapter 11: Reunited **

Aria could barely see George, Patrick and Giles flying around her, trying to protect her from the dorocha. They were like slow motion blurs at the corner of her vision.

"Aria!" George kept crying out her name, but she just lay there unresponsive, in a crumpled heap on the ground.

_He's gone. Just like my dream predicted. I'm too late. I could have stopped this, I could have saved him. Why didn't I save him? Why was I so weak? I should have had the courage to ride out alone, to somehow get to the Isle of the Blessed, so I could give my life for him. I've failed the prophecy. I'm too late. He's gone._

It felt as though her soul had been sapped from her and she couldn't move even if she wanted to.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin felt his vision come back to him slowly. The darkness was ebbing at the edges of his vision, allowing him to see some of what was around him.

_The dorocha didn't kill me. Is it because I have magic? Though I can barely function, I need to get moving again so I can travel with Arthur._

Looking up into the worried face of Arthur, he tried calling out to him, to let him know he was still there. But it was no luck, he couldn't form any words, his mouth was refusing to move for him.

_At least he is alright. That is the main thing._

Merlin felt himself being picked up by someone, but he couldn't see who. Whoever it was picked him up with ease, so he figured it must have been Percival.

_No, I have to go with Arthur. Don't take me back to Camelot._

Merlin's sheer determination to stay with Arthur seemed to jog his mouth and voice box into working again and he managed to brokenly tell Arthur he needed to stay with him.

Before Merlin could properly hear Arthur's response, he slipped back into the darkness, only to wake this time on a horse. Tilting his head up as much as he could, Merlin only saw Lancelot ahead of him.

_He's taking me back to Camelot, whilst Arthur and the other knights continue on their journey. No, I must stay with Arthur, please Lancelot, let me go back…_

Merlin tried to shout out to Lancelot, to get him to turn around, but his voice had left him again. His lips formed empty words.

Feeling the familiar rush of dizziness, Merlin tried desperately to keep awake, but instead succumbed yet again to nothingness.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

They had camped for the night in a small clearing in the forest. Aria was sat next to a blazing fire, whilst George, Patrick and Giles were circled around her, torches in hand.

Aria felt bad that she wasn't responding to their questions or joining in with their conversation, but she just couldn't move. She felt absolutely drained and very sad. Ever since her bracelet had burnt on her skin the night before, she had felt like nothing mattered anymore.

_I can't handle living in Camelot if Merlin isn't here. I know Gaius and Gwen are here, but Merlin…_

She sniffed back a sob.

George crouched down next to her, "Aria, are you alright? What happened? Please, talk to us."

She raised her eyes to look into George's worried ones, "Sorry, George."

Realising that was all she was going to say, George gently patted her on the shoulder and turned around, back on watch.

_I wish I could say more, but it took so much effort to even say that. I didn't realise what sadness truly was – or is this despair? The thought that he is dead… I feel like I've died inside. Why is the pain I feel so significant?_

Crawling into a tightly curled up position on the forest floor, Aria wrapped her arms around her legs.

_Maybe my dream wasn't true? Maybe Merlin didn't die? No… my bracelet burnt just like it did in the dream. But, the bracelet didn't scald so much I had to throw it off. Maybe that's a sign he isn't dead – maybe he's just seriously injured? No, that's not much better, though I suppose he would be alive. _

Aria shook her head gently, _I'm talking to myself. But maybe there is a small chance he is still alive? _

Aria curled up into a tighter ball and hoped Merlin was alright, but she still could not get rid of the sinking feeling in her stomach. _I need to know. I need to get to them._

For the rest of that day, Aria barely spoke a word and remained slumped in a foetal position on the ground. When night came, she didn't even feel scared when the dorocha started screaming around her.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin felt the darkness slowly begin to leave his body. He felt lighter than he had all night.

_At least I think it's been a night. I've lost all sense of time. I hope I'm not too late and Arthur hasn't done something stupid._

As his vision cleared completely, Merlin felt his body warm, allowing him to move again. Slowly sitting up, he rubbed his eyes which felt sore from remaining open for so long.

_Where am I? It's daytime, so has it only been a morning since I was hit by a dorocha? No, I feel too sore for it to have been that little time. Don't tell me, it's been another night as well? _

Looking around he noticed Lancelot in a peaceful slumber.

"Merlin, you are awake."

Turning in surprise at the new voice, Merlin looked left and right to find the source of it. Seeing none, he looked confused, before a tinkling laugh directed him to look at a water droplet hovering above the lake in front of him.

"W-who are you?"

"We are the vilia."

"We?" Looking around, Merlin noticed other drops of water start to rise above the surface of the stream. When he looked closely, he could see a woman's face reflected in the centre of the droplet.

"Yes, Merlin. We are the spirits of the brooks and the streams. We are here because the tear in the veil upset the balance of the world. That tear needs to be healed or else terrible things will continue to happen."

"I know what I must do to heal the veil."

The vilia sighed in unison, "Merlin, it is your destiny to protect Arthur, but even you cannot make such a sacrifice."

"I must. This is my duty." Merlin went to stand up and found he felt rather lightheaded.

"You are still weak, Merlin. We have healed you, but you still require some time to recover."

Merlin looked at the vilia in front of him.

"Thank you for your kindness. I promise to repay you."

"To repay us, please heal the tear. But Merlin, please think of another way."

Rubbing his head, Merlin replied, "I will try, but I cannot guarantee it."

"Thank you, Merlin."

Looking around, Merlin noticed fish swimming in the stream.

"I think it's time I caught some breakfast." He smiled at the vilia in front of him.

Returning his smile, the vilia agreed, "I believe so. I'll ask my sisters to send more fish this way."

Merlin laughed, "You think I need help?"

The vilia laughed but didn't respond to his question. She smiled at him and disappeared back into the stream.

Merlin chuckled to himself again and looked around for a nearby branch to use as a fishing stick.

Finding a long branch nearby, he fumbled around his bag until he found a knife, and began sharpening the end.

_Aria mentioned she really wanted to find a big branch to use as a walking stick that one time in the woods. She'd be annoyed that I found one so easily. Aria. I wonder how she is doing. I hope she is safe in Camelot. I really miss her, I really wish I could see her one more time before…_

Merlin broke off from that train of thought with a sigh. _Thinking like that won't get me anywhere._

Standing up with his newly sharpened staff, Merlin walked to the edge of the stream.

_Time to get some breakfast._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Gwen followed Gaius out of the council room, feeling relieved but also concerned.

Gaius turned towards her, "Gwen, would you mind accompanying me back to my chambers please? I have some more medicine for the King to give to you."

Gwen nodded, "Of course, Gaius." _He must want to talk to me._

Following Gaius, Gwen couldn't help but wonder what Agravaine was planning. _He is going against everything Arthur stands for, why is he being like this?_

A few minutes later, they walked into Gaius's chambers and Gwen turned around and exclaimed, "Why did he do that Gaius? He closed Camelot's gates so that the people would be at the mercy of the dorocha. Arthur would not have stood for that."

Gaius had a thoughtful look on his face, "It is a good thing that you managed to convince him to re-open them, Gwen. Otherwise I fear there would have been many more deaths this evening."

"But, I just can't… I can't _understand_ why he would even consider locking the people out of Camelot. Surely he must know that his excuse of 'we'll run out of food if we let everyone in' was ridiculous? The people outside of the gates grow our food! If they die, we all will too eventually. I just can't understand-"

Gaius rested a hand on her shoulder, "There, Gwen. Let me get you a calming potion. I feel both of us need something to rest our frustrations."

Gwen took a deep breath and nodded, "Sorry, Gaius. I- I didn't mean to get so worked up."

"Nonsense, my dear. I too don't know why Lord Agravaine issued such an order, but at least we must be thankful that you managed to convince him otherwise."

"I suppose, but something didn't seem right there. I don't know, maybe that was just my imagination…"

Gwen broke off and Gaius handed her a cup of calming potion.

_I can't explain it, but the way he looked at me, it was like he wanted to... no. This is Arthur's uncle I'm talking about. I must stop. Arthur would be very upset if he knew I was thinking badly of his uncle. I'm sure Lord Agravaine had the people's best intentions at heart. _

Gaius studied Gwen carefully, "I think you must be wary of Lord Agravaine."

Gwen looked up, surprised, "You felt it too, Gaius?"

"I'm not too sure, but I think it's best we remain cautious."

Gwen nodded and carried on drinking her potion, deep in thought.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Lancelot slowly opened his eyes, the thoughts of yesterday rushing back to him.

_Merlin! I was taking him back to Camelot for treatment when I met with the vilia and we rested for the night._

Sitting up swiftly, he looked around for any sign of the warlock. Looking to his left, he noticed Merlin was holding a sharp stick with one hand and had a couple of fish hanging from the other.

Lancelot shook his head and laughed. _I'm glad he is alright._

After saying good morning, Lancelot paused when he noticed that Merlin had no intention of going back to Camelot.

"Do you ever do as you're told?"

Merlin thought for a moment before grinning, "No."

_I can see why Arthur gets frustrated with him. But I can also see why Arthur values his friendship and seeks his counsel, even if he does not like to admit it. _

"Say hello to Gaius and Aria for me!" Turning around to go, Merlin went to jump on his horse.

"Merlin! You can't just say that and go. I can't return to Gaius and Aria and tell them that you nearly died and then jumped on a horse and rode away. Aria would have my head!"

Merlin laughed, "Well, come with me then. I must stop Arthur before he sacrifices himself."

"So you can sacrifice yourself? You would do that to Gaius and Aria?"

Merlin's face became pained, "I must do this, Lancelot. This is my destiny."

Merlin jumped on his horse and started to ride away. Lancelot grabbed his cloak and the fish and followed after him on his horse.

"Merlin." No answer. "_Merlin._"

Merlin sighed and looked behind at Lancelot.

"I'm sorry Lancelot. I don't _want_ to do this, I still have many things I want to accomplish. But, this is my destiny. I care for Arthur and Camelot and I won't see them fall. I wouldn't be able to bear the look of agony on Gwen's face if something happened to Arthur."

"And Aria, it's OK for her to bear that look?"

Merlin's head snapped up, "I-I. No. She won't. I've not known her long. She-she doesn't feel for me that way. She will be going home soon anyway, I know I can't be with her."

"You don't know that, Merlin. And she may choose to stay here with you, if you give her the chance."

Merlin looked sad and Lancelot felt pity strike through his heart. _Why can't everyone be happy and together? Is there no other way?_

"She won't be able to stay here forever… and I can't. I have to do this. I can't allow Arthur to sacrifice himself. No one else would be able to do it in his stead, he wouldn't let them get past him. He doesn't know about my magic, I can knock him out and he won't even know what's happened. It's the only way."

With that, Merlin clicked his heels into his horse's sides and carried on, signalling the end of the conversation.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Agravaine couldn't stop frowning as he cantered through the woods to where Morgana dwelled. _That darn serving girl dares to speak out against me. Tells me to close the gates of Camelot to stop those… those peasants from coming to harm. _

Nearing the cottage, he slowed down and jumped off the horse, tethering it to a nearby tree.

Opening the door, he sees Morgana. _She is very beautiful. A dark beauty. _

"What news of the mighty Camelot?"

Agravaine swallowed slightly. _A beauty, but deadly nonetheless._

"What brings you here so early? Something's wrong." The last part was a statement not a question and Agravaine shifted on his feet slightly when he saw Morgana's face turn sour.

"A minor… irritant." _Something about that serving girl is bothering me. Should I share with Morgana?_

"Go on."

"Guinevere dared to speak out against me."

"She's dangerous." A look of anger swept across Morgana's face and Agravaine took an instinctive step back.

"She's a serving girl."

"No!" Agravaine jumped slightly at the venom in Morgana's voice.

He barely listened as she explained about her dreams predicting that Gwen would be the one to take her throne. _Her eyes are captivating. A deadly beautiful, one who I am willing to serve._

_But… do I want more? Do I too want to sit upon the throne? She would not take me as a husband, that I am sure. She is too powerful to overthrow me… But… that girl, Aria. If it is true what I heard in the library that day and she is from the future, she could be of great use to me. I could use her knowledge to help fuel my desires to be King. I need more proof of this though, before I make my move. One overheard conversation is not enough to be sure. Maybe if I capture her and torture it out of her – well, get someone else to of course – yes, that would work._

Agravaine started smiling to himself. _I won't tell Morgana about her. I will use her to my advantage, and mine alone. _

"Why are you smiling?"

Snapping back to the present, Agravaine lost his smile immediately. "Sorry, my Lady. I was imagining your glory on the throne once our plans have proved successful. I have a solution to how we can be rid of our little problem, Guinevere."

Smirking evilly at him, Morgana replied, "Do go on."

Agravaine took a deep breath before sharing his plans with the High Priestess.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria rubbed her eyes gently as she woke up. _It's been another night. Two days since Merlin…_

Sitting up carefully, she looked around her and noticed the knights had all fallen asleep around her, slumped in various positions. _They must be shattered. Even I'm still tired and I've done nothing… I should be here to help them. What is wrong with me? Why can't I will my body to move again?_

Shaking her head, Aria rubbed her hands together. _It's a bit cold. At least I'm feeling things again. _

_I need to snap out of this. If Merlin truly is dead… _she broke off from her thoughts, a sob rising in her throat. Swallowing it down, she took a deep breath. _If… if that really is the case, I need to be strong for Gaius. I need to be there to… help. I can't zone off into my own sadness, that wouldn't be fair to anyone. _

_My family and friends… what would they think if I returned and I was wandering around like a zombie? If I continue with this unresponsiveness? No, I must snap out of this. Merlin wouldn't want me to be like this, he'd want me to be strong and protect Gaius. Maybe my destiny has not yet been fulfilled. _

Aria looked down at her hands cradled in her lap. _I wish I had another chance to save Merlin. Please, give me one more chance._

Feeling a strong wind blow around her, Aria looked up at the sky. _Please._

Hearing nothing in response and just getting colder from the wind picking up around her, Aria decided to lay back down to get some rest.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Gaius had been mulling over what had happened earlier with Gwen and Agravaine. He could not understand why Agravaine had decided to close the gates on Camelot's people, but thankfully Gwen had managed to convince him otherwise. _I believe it was because she had him backed into a wall and he had no other choice. Thank goodness Geoffrey was there to agree with her. I can't bear to think what would have happened to the people had the gates remained closed. _

As Gaius reached the King's chambers, he heard voices talking inside. Curious, he opened the door and walked in, pretending as if he hadn't heard any hint that there were people talking inside.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw Agravaine moving past him, leaving Gwen looking a little shocked.

"Is everything alright?"

Gwen looked up at Gaius, "Y-yes. He apologised for earlier. I believe he seeks my counsel." Gwen smiled slightly and headed out after Agravaine.

Gaius couldn't help but feel unnerved by the whole scenario. Turning towards the King, he made his way over to him, to administer his daily medicine.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin looked up and noticed a small hut in the distance. _Perhaps there is someone there who could offer us shelter for the night._

"Night is approaching, we should rest in there." Lancelot pointed at the hut Merlin had just seen.

Merlin nodded and hurried his horse. Jumping down, they carefully entered the hut.

"Hello?"

There was no answer.

Slowly walking to the back of the hut, they both saw the back of a man, perfectly rigid in his seat at a dinner table.

"He's been…" Merlin gulped.

"Yes." Lancelot sounded grim. "We should rest here for the night."

Merlin agreed and put his bag down on a nearby table.

_I hope we make it through the night._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

George gently pushed Aria back up as she started to droop on the horse beside him.

_It is like she has been erased. She has been mainly unresponsive for nearly two days now. She has managed to eat some food and drink some water, but she barely talks and looks as pale as a ghost. Though at least today she has made some progress. I think our Aria is coming back to us, slowly._

_At first, I thought she had been hit by a dorocha, but I believe her bracelet has caused this. I tried to take it from her, but she reacted strongly, crying that she couldn't be parted from it. I fear for her health. _

George, Patrick and Giles had argued for several hours about whether to return to Camelot or not. Patrick had insisted that Aria needed to be seen immediately by Gaius, whereas Giles said it would do her best to get to her end goal, that is, meet with the Prince and his manservant, Merlin.

George was at a loss of what to do. He had no idea what had happened to Aria. One minute she was completely fine, then her bracelet seemed to be causing her some pain, then she was collapsed on the ground, like a living doll. After battling with both arguments for some time, he had agreed with Giles. They should continue to catch up to the Prince. When he had mentioned this to Aria, she had smiled and said thank you, so he was content he had made the correct choice.

_Had it not been for her utter insistence originally, I may have agreed with Patrick to go back to Camelot. But as it stands, I fear her affliction is not physical, so she would benefit from reaching Prince Arthur and the knights._

They had almost caught up to the Prince and the knights, but with the disagreement over what to do next and the difficulty in travelling with and protecting Aria, they had covered less ground and were further away than they had hoped for.

George sighed, "We should perhaps find some shelter for this evening. We can light some fires and that will help us protect Aria."

Patrick nodded, "I agree. Let's look around for something we can use."

Up ahead, Giles called back, "I might have found something!"

Up ahead, the knights noticed a small hut surrounded by a copse of trees.

George put his finger to his lips to signal they should be silent on approach. As the knights got closer, they failed to see the two horses tied to trees on the other side of the hut, or the fire that had been lit in the far window.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Gwen sat very still as Agravaine circled around her. She had been in his presence for only ten minutes, providing some advice on how to manage the people of Camelot, but she still felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

_I was happy earlier, when Lord Agravaine had asked for my counsel. But now I'm alone with him in his chambers, I feel quite uncertain. I didn't give much thought to the fact I'd be alone here with him. I should have been more cautious like Gaius said. But now I'm here, if he asks me for my thoughts, I will have to tell him honestly._

"What can I do to reassure the people?"

Gwen looked up at Agravaine, who had now stopped in front of her. "Show courage. Shutting the gates last night showed you were as terrified as the people were."

Agravaine contemplated this for a moment, "I see, I am grateful for your advice."

He slowly move behind her again and Gwen felt the hairs on her arms stand up. _I feel very nervous._

"Thank you, Gwen. You may leave now. I'll have my guards escort you home."

He smiled at her, but Gwen felt that it didn't really reach his eyes. She smiled and curtsied nonetheless and followed the guards outside.

Once his door was closed, she felt herself release a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

_He asked for my counsel, yet he didn't ask more than a few questions. I wonder if any of what I said will make a difference. _

Walking through the streets just outside the castle, Gwen felt a cold wind blow past her and she shivered, using her arms to wrap her shawl around her body further.

_The streets are deserted because of the dorocha. I do not feel safe. At least I have two guards with me._

Gwen heard a bang in front of her and jumped. _It's just the lid of a barrel closing shut because of the wind. No need to get so frightened._

Taking another deep breath, Gwen continued following the knights home. _Nearly there._

Gwen didn't notice the hooded woman on the building to her left, nor did she notice the woman's eyes glow as she recited a spell. Before Gwen could react at all, she was knocked backwards with such force that she blacked out before she hit the cold, cobbled ground.

Morgana smiled evilly at the woman and guards she had just knocked over, then turned around and stalked off into the night.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Gaius slowly made his way up to Uther's chambers, to pick Gwen up and accompany her home.

_I have a strange feeling something terrible is going to happen tonight. I need to make sure she is safe._

Walking into the King's quarters, he noticed that he was sprawled on the bed, still in his clothes.

Turning to the knights guarding the room, Gaius asked whether Gwen had been by to help the King prepare for bed.

"We haven't seen her this evening, but Lord Agravaine requested her presence earlier. We were told someone else would come to tend to his Majesty tonight, but no one has shown up."

Gaius frowned, "Is Gwen with Lord Agravaine now?"

"I don't know, but it is quite late so I would think she has been escorted home by now."

"Thank you."

Gaius swiftly made his way out of the castle.

_I must check she is at home, safe. _

As Gaius made his way down the streets of Camelot, his mind shifted to Aria. _I do hope Aria is also safe. I should have known she would try to follow after Merlin again. I heard she encouraged Sir George, Sir Patrick and Sir Giles to accompany her, so I feel somewhat relieved that she is protected. I hope she doesn't do something stupid._

Gaius sighed, _I'm getting too old for this. For now, I must focus on Gwen._

Looking around, torch swinging in one hand, Gaius noticed something on the ground out of the corner of his eye. Walking over, he recognised the unmistakable shape of a human body. Leaning down, he checked for a pulse. _This guard is dead._

Looking around he noticed Gwen and another guard nearby. Hearing screams in the distance, he hurried over to them and checked their pulse too. Only Gwen was still alive. _She has been very lucky. I must get her back immediately._

A scream sounds nearby and Gaius looks up to see a dorocha flying right at them. He held out his torch and slashed through it, causing the dorocha to vanish in mid-air. Gently shaking Gwen awake, they made their way back to his chambers, Gwen swaying on her feet as she leaned on him to walk.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin rubbed his hands together over the fire. _It's cold tonight._

Looking up at Lancelot, Merlin broke the silence, "Do you still think about her?"

Lancelot didn't answer for a moment, he knew the question was about Gwen.

"No. Arthur is a better man than me."

_I understand how he feels._

"I'm sorry."

Lancelot looked surprised, "Why? He loves her and she is happy."

Merlin looked into the fire, deep in thought. _If Gwaine loved Aria and she was happy, would I be so willing to let her go? I don't know if I could…_

Thoughts of Aria filled his head; Aria turning around and smiling at him, Aria staring up at him with her beautiful, green eyes, Aria hugging him goodnight, Aria working diligently on her potions with her hair tied up in a scruffy bun, the way she concentrated on something with her tongue slightly poking out of her mouth, how she read her books curled up by the window, how her laugh caused others to grin and laugh around her… _I'm in love with everything about her._

Lancelot was watching Merlin carefully.

"What about Aria?"

Merlin snapped his head up, broken from his thoughts.

"What?"

"Aria. What about her? You know that by sacrificing yourself, you will hurt her deeply."

Merlin looked down into the fire again. "I have to do this, it is my destiny."

Sighing, Lancelot replied, "Merlin, there are things greater than destiny."

"I don't think it works like that in my case."

"What if Aria _is_ your destiny?"

Merlin felt a strange hum pass through his body. _The prophecy said Aria was to help me and Arthur. But I don't see how Aria and I can be tied by destiny. My primary duty is to protect Arthur. He is giving up his life for his people, so I must take his place in order to save him and allow him to unite all of Albion. I won't allow Aria to take my place. There is no other way._

Lancelot sighed again, "I don't know what you're thinking, Merlin. But there must be another way."

"I don't think there is. This is something I must do."

"Aria asked me to help and look out for you, you know."

Merlin looked shocked, "She did?"

"Of course she did!" Lancelot chuckled and rolled his eyes. "She cares for you Merlin, I don't know how many times people have to say that to you."

"But-"

**CRASH**

Alert, Merlin and Lancelot jumped to their feet. Lancelot grabbed his sword and Merlin grabbed a torch in case it was a dorocha.

_And the night begins._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Gwen touched her head, "Ow."

"It is a surface wound. You were very lucky."

"What happened, Gaius?"

"You weren't attacked by a dorocha that much is sure."

"Then what?"

Gaius pursed his lips. _I fear Agravaine may be involved, but I don't want to scare her._

"I fear… someone wanted to do you harm."

Gwen looked shocked, "Why?"

"I don't know."

"Surely if they did, they'd have done a better job?"

"Maybe. Cold blooded murder is suspicious. Better to leave you to the dorocha."

Gwen looked down, "That's terrible."

Gaius looked grim. _It's one thing after the other. First the Cailleach, then Merlin wanting to sacrifice himself for Arthur, then Aria trying to save Merlin. Everything is such a mess. I don't know how this will end._

"Gaius, have you heard from Merlin and the others? From Aria?"

Gaius shook his head, "No, I have not."

"I hope they are all alright. I can't believe Aria went off after them like that. She must know how worried we'd be! After all, that night she got lost in the forest was enough to worry me sick, but now she's off on her own journey to follow Arthur and the others. What was she thinking?"

"I'm not sure." Gaius sighed. "I can't help but worry about them all. I should have kept a closer eye on Aria."

"It's not your fault Gaius. I think Aria was determined to follow them. She must have some reason for it. I am just glad she had knights to accompany her and protect her."

"Yes. I hope she is being careful."

Both remained silent for a moment, before Gwen spoke up again, "I can't understand why this is all happening. Someone or something is threatening Camelot, we are getting attacked by the dorocha and Arthur plans to do something stupid to save everyone. Then Aria wanders off after them and I nearly get killed. Do you think Morgana is behind all this?"

"I believe so." Gaius looked sadly at Gwen.

"When Aria returns, the first thing I'm going to do is tell her how stupid she's been. I just… I just hope she does come home…" A pained look passed across Gwen's face.

"Don't worry Gwen. I'm sure they will all return home safely."

"I hope so Gaius. I hope so."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria felt a strange tingling sensation in her stomach. It was the first time in many hours that she had felt something other than coldness.

_Merlin._

She rubbed her eyes, all the tears had come out.

_I can't believe he... No, remember Aria, you're remaining positive. The dream may not have been true. The bracelet didn't burn as much as the dream anyway, so there is still a chance he is alive…_

Aria sniffed and slowly tilted her head up. She noticed that the others were dismounting and she assumed that they were preparing to enter the hut in front of them.

"G-George?"

George looked up immediately, "Aria!" he whispered, "Are you alright?"

She nodded slowly, "I'm sorry, George. I- I don't know what happened. I… something terrible happened and… it drained me."

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Not really. I think I went into shock. I think I'm still in shock. I… I don't know what to do."

"We will rest here Aria, do not worry about anything. We will look out for you."

She nodded, "Thank you, George. Thank you."

Climbing slowly off her horse, Aria looked around her. _We're still in the forest. Have we not reached Mer- of course. How could I already… I wonder what happened when he walked into the darkness. Where is Arthur? Are we heading back to Camelot? _

As a plethora of questions swamped her mind, Aria shivered. _I'm cold again._

Giles noticed and smiled at her, "Don't worry, we'll light a fire once we're inside."

Smiling, Aria nodded in return.

_Merlin._

Her smiled faded and Aria wiped her eyes with the cloak resting on her shoulders.

They tied their horses to the trees outside of the hut and cautiously entered. As they were walking through the door, Aria lost her balance from remaining inert for so long and from a lack of food.

**CRASH**

She fell into a nearby pot, causing it to smash into pieces.

The four of them paused, dreading that they'd caught the attention of the dorocha. Listening out, they heard some noise coming from the next room. Lighting more torches, they held them up in front of them and opened the door.

"Argh!" George swiped his torch forward, aiming at any potential dorocha who were behind the door.

Aria managed to climb up from the floor and was sandwiched between Giles and Patrick.

"Sir George?"

George froze, dorocha didn't speak, they only screamed. Looking up, he saw Lancelot holding a torch in front of him.

"Sir Lancelot, you're here! Is the Prince with you? We need to see him immediately."

At the mention of Lancelot's name, Aria twitched. _Lancelot is here? _

Lancelot took a moment to absorb the scene in front of him. He noticed there were others behind George, but he couldn't make them out.

"No, we left the Prince and the other knights about two days ago. I was to take Merlin back to Camelot."

At the mention of Merlin's name, Aria felt her body lurch forward into Patrick. _Take Merlin back to Camelot. Take his body back…_ _NO._

She felt a sob build up in her throat and she let out a strangled cry. _Maybe there are more tears in me._

"Aria?!"

_That isn't Lancelot's voice._

"ARIA! What are you doing here?!"

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms circled around her.

_What?_

Looking up through her newly gathered tears, Aria stared straight into familiar, blue eyes.

_His eyes._

"M-Merlin? You're alive?"

_I must be hallucinating._

"Shhh, shhh, it's alright Aria, I'm here." He pushed a strand of her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. _Just like in the forest. Maybe this is a dream._

"But- but I saw you die. Y-you walked into the darkness. It was horrible. You walked into it, you died." Aria choked on another sob and buried her head into his chest. _He smells so real, if this is a dream, I don't want to wake up._

To say Merlin was shocked was an understatement. All of the knights surrounding him looked puzzled as well.

"I don't understand, when did you see that Aria?"

"I-It was a dream. I saw the dream and then it happened. The bracelet burned and I thought my dream had come true. I'd hoped that it wasn't, but I didn't think that would come true." Came her muffled reply.

Merlin looked confused and turned to look questioningly at the knights who had come with her.

George coughed slightly, "I'm not too sure. We were following you and then about two days ago, she started itching her wrist where her bracelet is. Then she cried out in pain as if it was hurting her. Then it seemed to stop and she just collapsed to the ground. She hasn't responded much to anything since, although today she has spoken more and eaten something. I'm not sure what happened."

"Two days ago…" Lancelot looked at Merlin, "Merlin, two days ago was when you-"

"When I was hit by the dorocha." Merlin confirmed.

Aria looked up, tears still dripping down her cheeks. "You were hit by a dorocha?"

"Yes I was. Maybe… no, it can't… did you feel me get hit by it?"

Aria sniffed, "I felt something; I knew something bad had happened to you. I thought, based on my dream, you had died. In my dream, the bracelet had burned too, so when it happened in real life…"

Merlin held Aria tighter, "I'm so sorry Aria."

Lancelot walked up to Merlin and echoed what he had told him moments before about destiny, "Some things are stronger, Merlin."

Merlin looked down at Aria's head, which was shaking slightly from her sobs.

_He's alive. How can he be alive? My dream… then my bracelet… he's alive. That's all I care about. He's alive. I still have time to protect him._

George walked forward, "Maybe it would be wise to get some rest?"

Lancelot nodded, "Yes. There is plenty of room to stay here the night."

Aria looked up at Merlin and said in a small voice, "Can I stay with you? Please?"

_I just want to be near him. Before I leave him… I wonder if, when I enter the darkness - for I know that's what awaits me, I can feel it – I will be transported back to my time. Or, will I die and become nothing? _

Merlin felt his cheeks light up at the thought and began to stutter, "O-Oh. Um. Well, I-I. Um. I think, erm. Um. Yes, alright, yes."

"Thank you, Merlin." Aria huddled closer to him again.

Giles chucked, "Well, this certainly explains a lot."

The knights shared a look and Lancelot smirked at the bumbling warlock.

Taking the three knights aside, Lancelot nodded at each of them in turn, "Thank you for looking after Aria. We thought she was still in Camelot, what happened?"

George replied, "She was, but then she came to me asking for help…"

"And you brought her out here? Are you mad?" Lancelot's voice rose and he shot George a disapproving look.

"I know it may not seem like I made the best choice, but she was desperate. If I hadn't have agreed and asked Giles and Patrick to come with us, she would have gone on her own. You know she's strong willed. She was determined to find you. I just wanted to make sure she had some protection at least."

Lancelot considered this for a moment, "You're right. Sorry for my outburst. I had already caught her trying to follow us once – I thought that taking her back to Gaius would quell her desire to leave again."

Patrick looked over at Aria and Merlin, who were now getting the beds ready for the night, "I can see now why she was so insistent to come. How long have they been courting?"

Lancelot chucked, "They aren't."

"What?" Giles exclaimed, "How can they not be?"

"Don't ask." Lancelot shook his head, "We should get ready for the night too."

Getting their things together, the group made their beds, which consisted of a thin mattress on the straw floor, and lay down for the evening.

Aria tried to stay awake, to enjoy the feeling of Merlin's arm leant against hers as they lay side by side on the floor, but soon felt her eyelids drooping.

_I can't believe I'm lying next to Merlin. Thank God for my earlier courage. I can't believe he is really here, but… this is my last chance to be with him, so I wanted to be close to him on my last night here. From what Lancelot was saying earlier, we are only a day's ride from catching up to Arthur and the others at the Isle of the Blessed. These last few days have been the strangest and most terrifying of my entire life. _

Aria closed her eyes and what felt like only moments later, she was being shaken awake by Merlin.

"Aria, we must go. Get up, now!"

Eyes opening wide, Aria jumped up. _The dorocha are here. _

She rubbed her forehead. _I have a headache, we couldn't have slept long._

"We must go, follow me Aria."

Merlin grabbed her hand and started dragging her out of the hut. The knights were fighting off some dorocha, leaving the path clear for their escape.

"This way!" Merlin shouted for everyone to follow him.

As she was running blindly through the forest, Aria heard Merlin bellow something, but the wind whipping past her ears made it impossible for her to understand what he was saying.

_That sounds like… yes, when he called Kilgharrah. He's calling Kilgharrah! Of course, he can breathe fire!_

Moments later, Aria felt the wind push at her from another direction and knew the great dragon was close. The dorocha surrounding them were blown away by streams of fire and Aria sighed in relief knowing that Kilgharrah had arrived.

Entering into an open clearing, Aria, Merlin and Lancelot stopped running. _Where are George, Patrick and Giles? I hope they are alright._

Kilgharrah landed in front of them, causing Lancelot to draw his sword.

"It's alright, he is here to help." Merlin had his hand held out towards him.

"M-Merlin." Lancelot stuttered. "That's a dragon."

Merlin rolled his eyes at Lancelot and turned towards Kilgharrah, "Thank you."

"Lovely to see you again, Aria."

"You too, Kilgharrah."

Lancelot looked in shock and awe at Merlin and Aria, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing.

"Who is your friend?"

"I'm Lancelot." Lancelot decided it was best to speak up himself.

"Of course. Lancelot, the bravest and noblest of them all."

"I'm not sure that's true." Lancelot replied.

"We shall see."

Aria looked up at Kilgharrah, "There were other knights with us, Kilgharrah. Can you see if they are safe please?"

"I can hear them nearby, they are safe."

Aria breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

Lancelot spoke up, "We are on our way to the Isle of the Blessed, to help Arthur heal the tear."

"Indeed. But at what price?"

Merlin replied, "I know that the spirit world demands a sacrifice."

Kilgharrah reared up on his back legs slightly, causing the ground to shake when he lowered his front legs again. "It demands nothing. It is the Cailleach, the gatekeeper to the spirit world that asks such a price."

Aria looked at Merlin, then back up Kilgharrah, "Is there no other way?"

Kilgharrah considered her for a moment, "There is not."

"Arthur intends to sacrifice himself to heal the veil. It is my destiny to protect him. You taught me that." Merlin looked straight into the dragon's eyes.

"Merlin, you must not do this." The dragon's voice rumbled through the earth beneath their feet.

"I have no choice. I must take his place." Merlin stood up straighter and looked determined.

_I won't let him. I will take his place._

As if hearing her thoughts, Kilgharrah turned towards Aria and gave her a knowing look.

"It will be an empty world without you." Turning from Aria and towards Merlin he continued, "Young warlock."

With that, Kilgharrah took off into the night sky, his great wings causing the wind to swirl around them.

Merlin hadn't noticed how Kilgharrah had aimed the first part of his sentence at Aria. But Lancelot had and he frowned.

Aria swallowed, "W-we should get the others. Make sure they are alright."

Merlin nodded, "Yes, let's go."

As they were turning to leave, Lancelot grabbed Aria's arm and whispered to her, "Don't do anything stupid, Aria."

Aria smiled at him, "I won't Lancelot, don't worry."

_I'm sorry for lying Lancelot. I have to, for Merlin. For Camelot._

Lancelot nodded and let her arm go, but couldn't drop the feeling of unrest and concern that had built up in his chest.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~_isHi_

After meeting back up with George, Patrick and Giles, the group had continued on to the Isle of the Blessed as daylight was breaking so it was safe to move around again.

Lancelot looked at Merlin, who was riding with Aria in front of him.

"Merlin, how can you sacrifice yourself like this?"

Stopping his conversation with Aria, Merlin turned to face Lancelot, "It's not… easy. But, when you really care about something, then you know what you have to do. Even if you have to do something crazy. You'll do it."

Lancelot nodded slowly, "But how do you know when it's the right time to make a decision like that?"

Aria looked up at Merlin, interested in what he would say.

"You just know. When it's something that's more important than anything." With that, Merlin gently kicked the sides of his horse and continued forward.

Lancelot stared at Aria and Merlin in front of him. _Something more important than anything. _

Without conscious intention, Lancelot thought back to Gwen asking him to protect Arthur and how he had promised to protect him with his life. Gwen had been distraught at knowing Arthur was travelling to the Isle of the Blessed and knew he was going to do something noble like sacrifice himself for his people. _I told her I would protect him. I didn't give it any thought, I just knew I had to promise this. For her. For Gwen. Something more important than anything… for someone more important…_

Lancelot sighed and shook his head. _Aria didn't say anything when I brought up Merlin sacrificing himself. Something strange is going on. I hope she doesn't do something rash. _

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Several hours later, Merlin noticed smoke rising from a ruin in front of them.

Aria looked behind at Merlin, "Do you think it's them?"

"Maybe. Let's go and see."

They all dismounted and tied their horses up. Entering the ruin, they manoeuvred their way through the tumbling walls of rubble, towards the direction of the smoke. Lancelot put his fingers to his lips and signalled that he was to go first.

Walking through the doorway, Lancelot sighed in relief at seeing Arthur and the knights ready for action around the fire.

"Lancelot!" Arthur exclaimed, sheathing his sword and walking over to his companion. "How's Merlin?"

Lancelot looked grim, "Bad news, I'm afraid."

Arthur's face dropped.

Lancelot grinned, "He's still alive."

Relief shot across Arthur's features and he turned to see Merlin grinning and walking towards him.

Arthur patted him on the back, "Good to see you're still alive. A good manservant is hard to come by."

"I'm not that good." Merlin replied, grinning.

"This is true. Nevertheless, I'm glad you're alright."

Merlin smiled at Arthur and nodded, then turned to the other nights and greeted them.

Lancelot coughed, "That's not all, sire."

Arthur turned and noticed the newcomers, "Aria? What are you doing here?!"

Noticing three more of his knights following behind her, he didn't give her time to explain before he exclaimed, "Sir George, Sir Patrick, Sir Giles, why did you bring her here? What were you thinking?"

The knights hung their heads, unsure of how to respond to the Prince.

Aria spoke up, "It was my fault!"

"Yours?" Arthur looked shocked.

"Yes, I- I, well I threatened them! If they didn't bring me that is…"

"Threatened?"

Merlin laughed and then pretended to be very solemn, "Yes. Aria has quite the temper."

Aria shot him a glare and mumbled, "Shut up, Merlin."

Merlin laughed again and walked over to her, "It's alright, Arthur. They helped save our lives from the dorocha."

Arthur pursed his lips, "Hmm. This is a dangerous place, especially for a woman."

Aria placed her hands on her hips, ready to take a defensive stance on how she had managed quite well, despite being a woman.

Merlin gently rested a calming hand on her shoulder, "He's just worried about you."

Arthur blushed slightly, "W-well, you know, you're a woman. Women shouldn't be in dangerous places." He coughed, "And if you got hurt, Gwen would kill me."

Aria's face broke out into a grin and she started to laugh, causing all the other knights to follow suit.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Anyway, let's get ready for the night. It could be long, even if the dorocha seem unable to enter this place."

Turning away and trying his best to ignore the laughing of his knights, he bent down by the fire to continue sharpening his sword.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Later that night, Aria lay on her bed of hay, pretending to be asleep so she could listen to Merlin's and Arthur's conversation.

_This is really bad. They could be having a private conversation and I'm trying to listen in. _

Nevertheless, she closed her eyes more tightly and concentrated on what they were saying.

"Everything will be alright, Arthur."

"I don't know that it will be, Merlin."

_They must be talking about how to stop the dorocha and heal the tear._

"I will take your place."

Hearing this from Merlin, Aria froze, her breath catching. Trying to get her breathing to regulate like a sleeping person, she tried to continue breathing deeply. _They can't know I'm awake._

_I won't let Merlin take Arthur's place. I won't let Arthur sacrifice himself either. I was given another chance to do something. God, this is so strange, I never would have considered doing something this stupid before. I feel like something is driving me here though, Camelot has really changed me. I suppose living in another land and time, where magic and monsters truly do exist, can change a person._

Listening in again, she noticed that Merlin and Arthur were now talking about how Gwen needed to be happy in her life.

_She will be. I'll make sure she is._

Closing her eyes, Aria decided to get another couple of hours sleep before she made her way to the Isle of the Blessed.

_I'll go alone, I know the way as I can see it from here. Then, I can sacrifice myself without being stopped._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin's head rolled forward, causing him to jolt awake. _Ouch, my head. _

Rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleepers that had rested there, he groaned. _I feel really disorientated. _

Looking around, he noticed everyone was still sleeping peacefully. _They must be tired after fighting the dorocha all night and then travelling in the day. I can't believe it's taken us so long to get here. There have been so many obstacles. _

Looking over to where Aria was, he smiled. _I'm glad I got to see her one last time._

Standing up, his knees clicked loudly. He stretched his arms above his head and walked over to Aria's sleeping form.

"Good morning, Aria."

When he didn't get a response, he frowned. Reaching down, he pulled the blanket off of her and gasped.

"What?!" Underneath the blanket was her bag and pillow – there was no sign of Aria.

Looking around frantically, Merlin began to search around the camp, jumping over the knights resting forms.

_She's not here._

"W-wake up! Arthur, wake up!"

Groggily, the Prince opened his eyes, "Merlin? Is that you? What you doing?"

"It's Aria, she's gone!"

This snapped Arthur and the rest of the knights out of their early morning stupor.

"What?" George was standing up now, looking around the clearing for any sign of Aria.

"Her bag and a pillow were under the blanket, she's not here." Merlin replied.

Gwaine looked at Merlin, "Maybe she's gone to gather some food?"

"Don't be stupid, Gwaine. We're in the middle of a ruin, why would she search for food on her own? She would have woken one of us." Elyan responded.

"You don't know that, Elyan – she might not have wanted to wake us."

Leon walked towards Merlin, "We must find her, she is not safe."

Merlin nodded, "Let's go now!"

"Wait, Merlin. We must ensure we have all of our supplies." Arthur laid a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"There isn't time! We have to go _now._"

Arthur sighed, "Merlin, we are going now. But we need to make sure we have everything, so we are not trapped by the dorocha or left unprepared."

Arthur signalled for the knights to pack up quickly.

_No he doesn't understand._

"Arthur, you don't understand. We have to go _now_. We have to find Aria before it's too late."

Arthur flicked his eyes at Merlin, "What do you mean too late?"

Lancelot spoke up from behind him, "She plans to sacrifice herself in your place."

Arthur's eyes opened wide, and Gwaine exclaimed, "She plans to _what_?!"

"What do you mean? Explain Lancelot." Arthur had a frown on his face.

Lancelot looked at Merlin and then back at Arthur, "The reason she wanted to find you was so that she could sacrifice herself in your place."

Arthur paled at that, "You knew about this? And you didn't tell me?"

Merlin spoke up, "There isn't time, Arthur. We have to go. _Now._"

"Right, let's go. Grab a torch, leave anything unnecessary behind."

_I hope we're not too late. Aria, you have to be safe._

As they were running towards their final destination, Arthur glanced at Merlin, "You let Aria get away with this? I'm surprised, Merlin."

Merlin shook his head, "Of course not. I told you I was going to be the sacrifice. Aria was determined that neither of us should die, but I never thought she'd actually go as far as this…"

Arthur saw a pained look spread across Merlin's face.

"I understand. It doesn't matter what happened, the main thing is we find her as soon as possible. She is alone, so she can't have gotten very far."

Merlin nodded, dread building up inside of him.

_She's strong willed and she is determined. I have a horrible feeling she will reach the Cailleach before us. Aria, please be alright. Please._

As they ran through the courtyard, with its crumbled walls and overgrown ivy, Merlin heard the distinctive cry of wyverns.

_Oh no._

Looking up, he saw several wyverns fly down to attack.

Arthur pushed him aside and he saw Percival get his arm clawed by the biggest of the wyverns. Looking away, Merlin muttered an incantation in his dragon speak, to order the wyverns to leave them be.

_I hope that works. They are from the same family after all._

The wyverns listened, and flew off screeching.

"Percival, are you alright?" Leon rushed over to where Percival was knelt, blood covering his arm.

"I am fine, nothing a bandage won't handle."

Merlin grabbed his bag, pulled out a long cloth and tied it around the wound.

Arthur looked at Percival, "You should stay here and guard the entrance– Elyan, Leon remain with him. We will carry on ahead."

"But sire-"

"If the wyvern come back, we will need you to stop them from following us."

Percival nodded.

The wyverns screeched in the distance and Arthur turned to the remaining knights, "Giles, Patrick, you stay behind as well."

"Sire." They both replied.

Arthur nodded.

"We have to go." Merlin started to run towards the large pulse of magic he could feel up ahead.

_We're getting closer._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Merlin saw magic glimmering and knew they were close.

"It looks to be just ahead!" George shouted, pointing in front of him.

Running through the archway, they were confronted with the Cailleach and a large black emptiness behind her.

Merlin looked straight at the Cailleach. _This must be the tear. It's like it has torn straight through the air._

Looking around for Aria, he ran forward and sent a glare at the Cailleach.

Arthur shouted, "Where is she?"

The Cailleach turned her head towards her right, "She intended to take your place as a sacrifice. But, it is not her time to leave the world of the living yet."

Merlin bolted towards the figure lying in the shadows and felt for a pulse. _She's still alive. _

Arthur looked at Merlin, who nodded in affirmation that she was alright. Arthur's shoulders relaxed visibly.

Looking back at the Cailleach, Arthur demanded, "Put an end to this. I demand you heal the tear between the two worlds. Innocent people are dying, so put an end to this."

The Cailleach let out a cold laugh. "I don't see why I should."

"You, evil-" Gwaine unsheathed his sword, but before he could use it, he was blown backwards by the force of the Cailleach and knocked out.

George growled and began to unsheathe his sword to, but the Cailleach laughed evilly and blew him backwards, knocking him out also.

Arthur shouted, "Stop! I know what you want."

"Do you? And are you willing to let me have it?"

"I am prepared to pay whatever price is necessary."

The Cailleach grinned and signalled for him to come over. Merlin watched Arthur move and held out his hand.

_This is my destiny._

Merlin felt his magic fire out of his hand and knocked Arthur out.

The Cailleach didn't look surprised.

Walking over to Merlin, she spoke again, "So, Emrys. You choose to challenge me after all. You will give yourself to the spirits to save your Prince."

"It is my destiny."

"Perhaps." The Cailleach considered something for a moment. "But, like Aria Phillips, your time among men is not yet over Emrys."

Merlin was confused. _What?_

Looking to the right, he saw Lancelot approaching the tear. _No. Lancelot, no!_

Lancelot looked at Merlin and smiled, "There are greater things than destiny, Merlin."

With that, he looked into the veil and stepped into the darkness, embracing it.

"NO! NO! NO!" Merlin bellowed, but it was too late, Lancelot had been enveloped in the darkness.

The Cailleach laughed and vanished, along with the tear.

"NOOOO!"

Merlin fell to his knees.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Aria stood with her head drooped and her arms hanging down by her sides.

_Lancelot…_

Arthur was walking towards the pyre at the centre of the courtyard, Lancelot's robe and sword in hand. He carefully placed them on the pyre and took a step back, a solemn look etched on his face.

Arthur took a deep breath and addressed the knights and citizens around him, "We owe him a great debt. It is not just his deed we'll never forget, it's his courage, his compassion, his unselfish heart."

Merlin leant forward and passed Arthur a torch.

Aria saw Gwen trying her best not to break down in tears besides her, so she grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it. Gwen returned the gesture and sniffed besides her.

Arthur continued, "He's the most noble knight I've ever known. He gave his life for all of us."

Lighting the pyre, Arthur bent his head down in silent thanks and then turned around to walk away.

Aria slowly made her way over to Merlin, allowing Gwen to have some time with Arthur alone.

Merlin looked over at Aria and smiled sadly at her, "It should have been me."

Aria shook her head, "It should have been me."

"Aria-"

"Don't 'Aria' me, Merlin. We both thought it was our destiny to sacrifice ourselves." Aria looked at the blaze that had started in front of her, "Lancelot was so brave. I-I can't help but feel responsible for his death."

"What do you mean?"

"I asked him to help you and he knew that I was planning to sacrifice myself. I could tell that he knew. I lied to him, but I still think he knew…"

Merlin gently laid a hand on her shoulder, "Lancelot knew what he was doing. He saved us all."

Aria nodded, "He was very brave."

Turning away from the pyre, Aria and Merlin made their way towards Gaius, who was waiting for them by the side entrance of the castle.

Aria saw Gwen crying, whilst Arthur comforted her.

_Poor Gwen. She told me earlier that she had asked Lancelot to protect Arthur. She must feel responsible for his death - I can understand how she feels. I'll let Arthur comfort her, then I'll visit her later to make sure she's alright. Merlin is right, Lancelot knew what he was doing and he did it for his love of Gwen, Arthur and Camelot. He was a noble and kind knight._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Agravaine was confronted with an angry Morgana.

"This is all Emrys's fault." Morgana spat.

"Emrys?"

"As long as he exists I'll never gain what is rightfully mine."

_Who is this Emrys? He must be powerful if Morgana is concerned about him. I wonder… could this 'he' be a 'she'? After what I heard in the library about Aria, if she truly is from a time in the future, she might hold the key to gaining power in Camelot. The powers she could hold… _

"You must help me find this Emrys and destroy him."

Agravaine smiled, "Of course, my Lady. I will."

_I will. Oh, I will. But I won't destroy Emrys, I'll use her._

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Later that evening, Aria was sat with Merlin in his room, writing what had happened in her diary.

_This is incredibly hard to write, but it must be documented. Lancelot's sacrifice cannot be forgotten. _

Hearing a commotion in Gaius's room, Aria flicked her eyes up at Merlin questioningly.

_No one should be here this evening, everyone is in mourning._

Aria and Merlin crept towards the door separating them from Gaius and peeked through the gap.

"Gaius, you're knowledgeable… Have you heard of someone called Emrys?"

Gaius tried to hide his surprise at Agravaine's question.

Aria desperately tried to hide a gasp as she looked at Merlin, who shared a similar look of shock.

_I knew it! He was up to something! He shouldn't know about Emrys – only Gaius, Merlin, and myself know about Emrys. But how?_

After Gaius's reply that he did not know who Emrys was, Agravaine left.

Aria and Merlin burst from his room, "I knew it!"

Gaius raised his eyebrow at her, "What do you mean, Aria?"

"I had a strange feeling from him, I can't remember if I told you about it, maybe not. But anyway, I felt strange around him, I didn't trust him."

Merlin nodded, "I think you may be right. Only one other person could know of that name."

Gaius looked grim, "Morgana. You know her powers are growing, she too must have seen the Cailleach."

"But Agravaine?" Merlin replied.

"It seems as though your feelings were correct, Aria - he may not be as virtuous as he seems."

"Hmm… so he is in league with Morgana?"

Gaius sighed, "Perhaps. We must be aware Merlin. She must never know who you really are."

Concern washed over Aria.

_What are they up to? How deeply is Agravaine involved?_

**A/N – So, I just got back from holiday, which was really nice :D It may be another 2 weeks before chapter 12, as I have a huge 'to-do' list since arriving home and don't want to rush the chapter! **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter – let me know your thoughts in a review! ^.^**

**What does Agravaine have in store for Aria? Will Merlin and Aria ever admit their feelings for one another?!**


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